#i'm not finished with the chapter i'm on either i just hit it during

[spiritofjustice]

The Shadow Over Beau Rudolph reached 100,000 words!!! 🎉🎊🥳

[yumeka-sxf]

I was surprised we got another Yuri-focused chapter so soon, considering we just finished the Mole Hunt arc...but it was a good chapter nonetheless!

Chloe is a great character to help with Yuri's development, the reason being because she not only knows his true identity, but she also has known him for many years, as this chapter reveals. Unlike his superiors, Yuri seems more comfortable with Chloe, probably because she doesn't have authority over him, but she's also not afraid to point out his flaws. So yeah, I'm glad she's becoming a reoccurring character. Yuri really needs someone he can talk to with whom he doesn't have to hide anything from, but who also sticks with him despite knowing how cringe his personality is. I do hope we'll see more of Chloe bringing out Yuri's relatable side in the future.

Speaking of which, Twilight has Franky (and Sylvia somewhat) who fills this role for him - someone he can talk freely with who knows his true identity, but they also sense the goodness in him that he tries to hide. Yor, however, doesn't have anyone like this, at least not yet. Olka filled that role well during the cruise arc, but it's very unlikely we'll see her again. While McMahon and Shopkeeper know Yor's true identity, their relationship with her has been very business-like, not casual like Twilight/Franky and Chloe/Yuri. It almost seems like Melinda could fill that role for Yor, except for the important detail that she doesn't know Yor's true identity...OR DOES SHE???

Anyway, back to today's chapter, we find out that Yuri can also withstand getting hit by vehicles, and both siblings can smell/sense the other's presence!? And yet, a slap from Chloe hurt Yuri more than getting hit by a truck?! I would say that's too much, but I guess it's not that unusual for characters in shonen series 😅But I have to agree with Chloe on this line...

I also find it a bit sad that Yuri thinks Yor wouldn't like the idea of him having a girlfriend. I wish they discussed more about this, but it just goes to show that, as close as Yuri and Yor are, there are some very obvious things about each other that they don't know. Of course we as well as Chloe know that Yor would be happy if Yuri is happy with a girlfriend, or any friend really. But to Yuri, it seems like having an intimate relationship equates to not being diligent enough at his job, maybe? Or maybe he thinks Yor would see it as a betrayal of his dedication to her? Either way, he's flat-out wrong about that obviously. Hopefully he'll realize it someday.

I cracked up when we got the glimpse of all the Yor photos in Yuri's house 😂 I hope Anya visits his home one day...would love to see her expression about this! (also he names his attacks after Yor too, I can't 🤣)

Even though Yuri misunderstood what Chloe meant when she told him not to be so reckless, by the end of the chapter he did have a thought on his own about how getting rid of Loid would make Yor sad. Of course he tries to deny that by bringing up the gripes she supposedly had with him, and of course Yor, who's always so flustered about her feelings, can't straight up tell him that she likes/loves Loid. So back to square one I guess...?

But even though this chapter may turn out like the last one and just be a standalone that doesn't lead to the next big arc, I can't help but think it's hinting at a "Yuri discovers who Twilight really is" scenario. For all we know that could be the first identity reveal of the series. It makes sense since, unlike identity reveals among the Forgers, this wouldn't necessarily result in the series heading towards an end. Even if Yuri discovered Twilight's identity, he could choose to keep it to himself for a while and nothing else would change. I don't like to speculate too much, but I feel this is a possibility with all the "Yuri vs Twilight" mentions we've had lately.

As always, just gotta wait and see!

[msookyspooky]

Fours a Franchise

Part 12

Wordcount: 8,567

Omfg I got the flu for a week, had a family fued that lasted months between my aunt and...EVERYONE. But thankfully my younger cousin I'm super close to is living with her Dad/My Uncle now after months of this bs so finally there's peace, then in-between this fued and my cousin moving out I got covid and ong I have been foggy headed for 2 weeks afterwards I'm just starting to feel like my normal self again....THEN Wattpad kicked me out of my account. From September till now has been an out of body experience in a bad way 🙃

So thank you all for your support and patience I appreciate it 🖤 but I am so done wracking my brain over this chapter so we're just winging it rn bc I want to write and get past this hump to finish this story then start on 5. So if I missed info or a typo or misplaced lore from previous books *No I did not*~

Annnnddd my motivation with recent Scream news.

The news of Scream 7 is so disheartening and screwed up with Sam and Tara's actresses. So I cannot promise I'm writing till 6 or 7 not only because I'm losing my hyper fixation for Scream after these 2 years but no Tara, Sam, Sidney and most likely no Stu because Matthew is a real one and wouldn't come back after how they treated Neve and Melissa so like? What's the point? This book and 5 I am for sure doing because Billy meeting Sam is a huge writing motive for me. 6 is iffy but 7? I am not. Not only do I not have the motivation to write that much more for this story but it's pointless with so much of Scream being written like bad fanfiction the last 2 installments...Hell, I could do that! But I won't because I probably won't even watch Scream 7 if they make it. The Studio has screwed over Neve and Melissa in ways that I really don't want to support.

Anyways, thank you for the patience. I appreciate all of you! ♡♡♡♡

—————————————

   Ghostface grabbed your ankle and you hit the stairs. Hard. But the second they went to stab you, you kicked them as hard as you could in the knee sending them flying back and tumbling down the stairs. 

Jill grabbed your arm. "Come on, YN!" As you both bolted for Kirby's room…Kirby had gotten separated during the chase and you didn't know where she was. 

Jill locked the door and told you. "The balcony!"

"There's no other way out?" 

"You can jump, maybe, I don't know." Jill rushed out past her lips as she got away from the door. 

You breathed hard, looking down at the drop off from the second story. You couldn't think long as the door frame started bending; the wood splintering with each bang from the killer trying to break it down. 

"That's two stories." You looked at her trying to form a plan. "...Get under the bed." 

Jill looked confused, "Wha-" 

"Just do as I say." You harshly whispered. "Get under the bed and don't make a sound or come out until I get you, okay? Trust me!…Go!" 

You watched her go to crawl under Kirby's bed as you climbed over the railing.

Jill hid under the bed as you heard the door to Kirby's room finally break and the killer come inside. Slowly walking past Kirby's bed...

You made a gasp as you almost fell.

Ghostface darted out onto the balcony to see you descend onto the porch roof. You rushed down around the corner of the home and looked back to see Ghostface on the roof too. Staring at you through that mask before disappearing. You figured back inside to look for the others because you looked back around the corner to see they were gone.

You quickly used the opportunity to get your cellphone.

You faltered just a second...You didn't trust to call police because you did not trust Judy. You didn't care if she was out in the open when Jill's mother was killed. Partners. Besides, you did not have a good track record of using your one phone call for cops and either they don't show up, show up too late, or show up and make things worse with the killer. But you still had to call someone. Randy dead, Gale injured, maybe Dewey? Maybe just risk 911-

You heard a noise and out of reflex you accidently pushed a button on speed dial that you hissed a curse at. Too late, they picked up the phone as you frantically tried windiws.

As soon as it picked up you rushed out, "The killer's here at Kirby's! I need your help. 329 whispering lane-" 

You yelled as you rounded the corner to try a window you saw was cracked open just for the killer to jump out at you. You gasped and stepped back as they tried to slash you with the knife as you dropped the phone on the roof and lost your footing. Tumbling off the roof before barely catching yourself on the gutter. Your fingers and hands burned painfully from the impact as well as trying to hang onto the thin uncomfortable metal with your body weight. The hand you injured from the knife stab a decade ago hurt the worst. Tingling and burning as you desperately tried to hang on. 

You gasped looking up to see a knife and mask. The knife narrowly missed your hand as you let go and let yourself fall harshly onto the ground. Tumbling painfully before laying there a second from the impact. Robbie no longer screamed…Only the smell of flesh and hair and plastic burning as his body provided some fucked up bonfire in the front yard that blazed overtop a pile of dead leaves...And of course this house was about like Stu's with hardly any neighbors. Should've seen that a mile away.

"Shit…" You grabbed the knife from your boot and bolted, forcing your legs to move even if they didn't want to. Running back into the house before yelping at someone grabbing you. You went to stab them before she said, "No, no, no, no! Sorry, It's me." 

You lowered the knife as you saw Kirby. She drew you to a corner of the kitchen to quietly talk. "Look, I tried to call 911 but the landlines dead and someone smashed the router...And my cellphone is missing. I-I don't know, I think I lost it while running I don't understand. "  

Your mind raced with that.

But…Did she actually call 911? Or was she lying? Where had she been? Why didn't she go with you and Jill? Did she actually try to call or did she mess with the landline and wifi in her own house?...

You didn't have time to talk as you both heard heavy footsteps upstairs and Kirby opened the basement door and rushed you in, "Oh god. Go, go, go, go, go!" She urged before following after you and locking the door as you both quickly got down the steps as she informed you. "There's a room down here we can lock ourselves in. I heard you yelling at Jill; is she okay? Did she get away?" 

You both made it to the room as you told her, "She's safe but where's the others? Trevor, Charlie?" 

Kirby breathed out shakily. "I don't know." 

You hissed through your teeth. "Did Trevor or anyone have a shoulder or arm wound? I shot Ghostface in the shoulder tonight before they escaped the barn." 

Kirby mumbled, "I don't think so." All before locking you both in the dark room…Suddenly, you both gasped and jumped at a banging noise. Nearly jumping out of your skin as you instinctively wielded your small knife. You held your knife tightly as you both saw a bloody Charlie banging desperately on the glass door leading to the backyard.

"Kirby! Please, let me in!" 

"Charlie?" Kirby breathed out, going to the door…Her eyes darted to his bloody hand and arm. 

He looked where her eyes traveled and he shook his head. "N-No! I got attacked! Please, let me in!..." He kept banging his bloody hand on the glass while fearfully looking around. "Please! There is someone else out here, let me in! They burnt Robbie!...Jesus Christ, Kirby, they set him ablaze in the yard!" 

You saw Kirby ponder and you told her firmly. Already having your hunch. "If you can't trust him; don't open the door…"

Kirby looked taken aback by that realization. 

Charlie looked outraged on the other side of the glass. "My God! Let me in!" He begged Kirby with fear raising his voice a few octaves. "I don't know who's doing this but it's not me! Please!" 

Kirby swallowed but with a tense look told him. "...Get away from the door, Charlie." 

"Kirby! It's me!" Charlie whimpered with desperate pleas. 

Kirby had tears in her eyes, voice strained as she ordered him. "Get away from the door, Charlie!" 

Charlie's bloody hand slid down the glass as he cried out, "It's me! P-Please, Kirby! It's meee-" He whined the last part in a desperate sob. 

Kirby shook her head, tears welling in her eyes as her voice cracked. And in the tiniest, crackling voice she told him. "...I'm sorry, I can't…" 

You saw the struggle on Kirby's face. Trust no one…This could be a set up to make you trust her completely. You just stood back away from the door or windows with your knife ready. Back against the wall. Nothing behind the wall. Trust no one.

Charlie stepped away from the door into the porch light's view. "What the fuck?!" He yelled in outrage and disbelief. 

Suddenly, Ghostface appeared behind him as Kirby screamed, "LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!" 

Killer grabbing Charlie and banging his head into the glass right over the bloody handprint he left. Smearing blood on the glass before dragging him away into the dark…

You and Kirby looked taken aback, both staring helplessly…Then suddenly, whoever was doing this shut off the outside light. It was pitch black both outside and in the room now as your eyes adjusted to the darkness surrounding you. Back against the wall as you swallowed hard and tried to get your mind in survival mode. 

And then…The lights turned on outside to see Charlie tied to a chair…So similar to the report of Steven Oarth's body found or that friend of the girl that worked for Randy. 

"Leave him alone!!" Kirby yelled, banging on the glass with teary eyes. "Damnit, leave him alone!" 

You stood back and watched in disbelief. Questioning everything. How did Charlie get tied up so easily? Was Kirby faking it? Where the hell is Jill? Where's Trevor? And now, you have no phone to call 911…It was on the roof…Then again, you called multiple times in 1996 that awful night and they didn't show up till a fire broke out...Apparently one body on fire in a leaf pile isn't enough. You felt cornered on your own here. The only thing driving you was to kill this Ghostface and find who they were. Honestly, at this point, in that order. Anyone dumb enough in this situation to run at you with that mask on deserved beat or stabbed and feel guilty about it later.

You saw Charlie bound and gagged in that chair. And you just stood in the darkness of the room helplessly watching. 

Kirby's phone rang. Charlie's contact as she answered. In the silence of the room, you could hear the Ghostface's voice on the line talk to Kirby. 

"Tell YN heads are gonna roll tonight! Tell YN this is all because of her! Or maybe she wants to take his place? I promise to be quick." 

You gritted your teeth hearing the sadistic excitement in their voice. Oh how much you wanted to yank that phone out of Kirby's hand and tell them to stop being a coward and come get you then…But you knew better. Instead, you whispered to Kirby, "Keep them talking." You knew it was most likely one of them or both of them…But it could be an outside influence, someone not necessarily in the group just like Neil was. 

Kirby tearily nodded as she sucked in a breath to keep Ghostface on the line as you snuck out of the dark room. 

—-------------------------------------

Kirby stood there as you left, shaking like a leaf. "Please, let him go." 

"I hear you like horror movies, Kirby. But do you like them as much as him?...Forget watching Stab. You get to live it!" 

Kirby's eyes widened, "No! Nononono, he's the expert, not me!" As she locked eyes with Charlie who struggled against his ties. 

"Warm up question: Jason's weapon?" 

Kirby fumbled at first in her fear stricken state. "Uuhhh, it's a machete." She released a small sniffle and touched her head.

"There, ya see? You do know the genre." The voice is entirely too sweet. Mocking her before snapping. "Michael Myers?!" 

"Uh, butcher knife." 

"Leatherface?!" 

"A Chainsaw! Please!" Kirby answered faster, desperate to save her friend as a small sob escaped her. 

"Just ask YN if you need some help. Freddy Krueger?!" 

"Uh, uh. Razor hands!" 

"Name the movie that started the Slasher craze. Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Last House on the Left, or Psycho?" 

"Psycho!" Kirby growled out through her teeth before the voice aggressively cut her off as Kirby kept pacing the doors window looking at Charlie. 

"NONE of the above! Peeping Tom 1960 directed by Michael Powe; first movie to ever put the audience in the killer's POV!" 

"Wha-" Kirby's breath caught in her throat as she clutched her head. "What? Please! Nononono, please just ask me one more question, just one more!" 

"...Alright Kirby. Then it's time for your last chance question …" The voice so sinister on the other line as Kirby softly cried to herself. "Name the remake of the groundbreaking horror movie in which the villain-" 

"Uh Halloween-" Kirby shook her head while frantically going over every horror remake she knew. "Texas Chainsaw, Dawn of the Dead, Hills have.. Eyes-" She scrunched her face forcing this out while trying to scrap her brain for every last straw she could grasp. "Uh Amityville horror, Last House on the Left, F-Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, My Bloody Valentine, When a Stranger Calls, Prom Night, Black Christmas, House of Wax, The Fog, Uh…Uh Piranha!...It's one of those, right? Right?!" She demanded while staring out the window at Charlie. 

…The line went dead silent. Everything stopped as the line was quiet, no attacks, no taunts. 

"I was right?" Kirby gritted her teeth to go outside. "I was fucking right." 

She opened the door, looked around, before rushing to her bound friend. "Hold on Charlie." She removed his tape from his mouth as he gasped and groaned at the feeling. Kirby quickly worked on untying him as she spoke. "He tried to trick me but I fucking won!" She smiled a bit as she got his hands free. Looking cautiously around herself in the dark as she tried to get the tape undone on his wrists and ankles. She helped him up and told him, "It's gonna be okay! It's-" 

"Kirby." He said her name like it was a chore. "This is making a move." 

Kirby gasped as she felt searing pain…A knife Charlie had hidden plunging deep into her abdomen. She choked on tears and air…And her eyes darted to the blood on his white shirt that he claimed was from an attack by the killer…It shifted as he stabbed and she saw a bloody gauze thickly wrapped up where the blood had soaked through from earlier…From us shooting him in the barn…She remembered him acting odd, noticing him wincing a bit when he sat down earlier but she thought it was nerves from stress…My God…It really was Charlie. 

He killed his best friend Robbie. He stole Robbie's Dad's Crossbow. He stabbed Gale. He killed Randy Meeks…It was him.

Kirby's teary eyes looked at him desperately for an answer to the madness as she choked on her sobs of pain. He jerked it back out. 

"Four years of classes and now you notice me?! All those times at the video store that you could talk Randy's ear off about horror movies like he's a fucking Messiah of horror while ignoring me?! All those years of teasing and leading me on in the friendzone and now you care?!" He demanded with angry tears in his own eyes as Kirby gripped his shoulder in pain gasping for air with wide eyes. Charlie yelled before plunging it back in her again. "Stupid bitch! It's too late!!" 

Charlie gripped onto Kirby as her body went lax. Tears and choked whimpers escaping her as the pain felt like shocks coursing through her. 

Charlie shhed her as he held her in a soft voice, "Shh, shhh. I know, I know. It's okay, take your time…Doesn't happen as fast in real life as it does in the movies, I know." 

He smirked a bit as Kirby could do nothing but feel pain as the shock of all this slapped her in the face… 

"C-C-Charlie…" 

He brutally killed Olivia to look like Tatum's death. He hosted the party. He massacred Randy. Stabbed Gale. Set his so-called best friend on fire…Now? He was stabbing her to death and killing their entire friend group plus YN. 

"Just like Sidney Prescott …Shh…I bet she suffered in that house, huh? Stab had her die instantly but I bet she gasped in pain too when Billy plunged his knife in her." He softly told Kirby. 

He then whispered something in Kirby's ear that made her eyes widen…

Kirby choked out pained gasps before Charlie shook his head and shoved Kirby off his knife to let her lay on the ground. Taking gasping breaths like a fish out of water as a pool of blood.

Charlie looked close to crying and ran a hand through his long hair while he stalked back to the house. The night wasn't over. 

—--------------------------------------

You tried to look for Jill, Trevor, your phone but couldn't find any. You put your small knife back getting  a much bigger one off the counter…Kitchen knife in hand and backup knife in your boot.

You came downstairs, that front door still open as you rounded the corner.   Opening the door to the bottom level Kirby was at last…But stopped yourself from calling out to her. It was too quiet…You wanted this Ghostface dead or caught. Wanted to help these kids. But everything in you screamed get in the car and get away. 

You took a steadying breath and backed up the stairs a few steps. Knife in hand, eyes darting before someone grabbed you in a chokehold so tight you gagged as your knife clattered down the steps and you were jerked backwards.

Charlie's arm had you in a tight grip with his knife at your face. Blood staining his white shirt…And he seemed in pain with the arm he was holding you with. Blood on the shoulder you shot. 

…You knew it. 

He was pressed against a wall as he mumbled in your ear, “You know you learn a lot when you watch movies over and over. All the plots are about to ridicule you…Think you're gonna get away? Think anyone gets away?” His lips near your ear as you gritted your teeth and slammed him back against a wall. 

As soon as he hit the wall he let you go and you grabbed your knife from your boot as you went to run out the door. You were getting out. You were outnumbered now. Just until help got here. 

…But you got intercepted…When someone plunged a knife deep into your stomach.

You had been shot and stabbed but never in your gut like that. It knocked the wind from you, your body freezing up in pain as you fell back against the staircase wall. A choking gasp escaped your lips as you clutched your stomach. You went to slash at them, jolted by the pain you felt the second you moved your arm as it radiated down to your abdomen. Ghostface easily smacked that small knife out of your hand.

It clattered to the ground feet away and you felt all air leave your lungs.

The Ghostface came towards you, lowering their knife before taking off that damn mask you learned to resent…

Long dark hair cascaded out first followed by a fair complexion and a smirk on full pink lips…And your mouth dropped.

…Jill.

You shook your head. Shocked because she wasn't even on Randy's radar. And then your face soured as you realized this was just a decade ago all over again. Another one of Sidney's family is either jealous or wanting revenge.

“Hello, Yn…” She tilted her head with a smirk. “Surprised?” 

She got inside her mask to show a small camera. “See this? This is the part where the cameras…” It beeped as she held it up smugly. “Turn off.” 

“Good.” Was the only thing you heard before a man's hand jerked her by the head and slammed her forehead against the staircase railing as she screamed in pain and anger. Billy had a firm grip on her hair.

“Jill!” Charlie went to defend her before Stu grabbed him by the throat and jerked him back.

 “Where you goin’?” Stu taunted. Knife jerking back ready to stab Charlie repeatedly at a moment's notice. “After party's just starting man. Pretty lame if you ask me. Mine was a rager.” Stu jeered with an insane grin.

You couldn't help the relieved smile as you clutched your bleeding abdomen…They actually came back for you. They heard your call and came back.

The sound of a knife jerking out of a pocket sounded as Billy readied his hunting knife. Jill cursed and struggled. “Time to join the other idiots.” He murmured.

Stu grinned, “Hell yeah, man! Number one, baby! We'll always be the one-” 

Right when Billy went to plunge his knife into Jill's side she jerked with a scream as he barely got her…Before a gunshot ran out and you saw Stu jerk back with a shocked expression on his face.

Charlie pulled out a gun leveled it behind him shooting again as Stu got shot right in his rib area jerking back from it before Charlie went to shoot again and Stu tripped backwards over a spare chair landing through the glass sliding door with enough force to fall through it.

“Motherfucker!” Billy hissed out ready to slit Jill's throat and Charlie quickly pointed the gun at us; grabbed us by the back of the neck.

Damn…This has happened too many times before.

“Let her go…Or YN dies.” Charlie mumbled, nervously licking at his lips as he fidgeted with you in his grip. You went to struggle, trying to elbow him and Charlie shoved it to your temple as you groaned in pain.

Billy really considered…He glared, Jill still in his grasp. Until Jill stabbed him in the leg. He yelled, accidentally letting her go as he clutched his thigh.

Charlie jerked you into the kitchen as Jill hissed, seeing a bit of blood where Billy barely stabbed her side before she kicked him to follow Charlie and You. “Move, asshole!” 

Billy growled in his throat as he readied his knife to stab the ever loving hell outta her before Charlie pointed his gun at him while still having a painful grip on you. “You heard her.”

Billy looked ready to take the risk, not one to back down but hearing Stu groaning in pain among the shattered pieces of glass on the porch and you yelping when Charlie shoved you with too much force into the counter. Right where your stab wound was…He relented. 

Walking as Jill told him. “Give me the knife.” 

“Bite me, bitch.” Billy scoffed. 

Charlie threatened with the gun again. “Come on, what's a knife gonna do with a gun anyways? Try to think.” 

Billy scowled before dropping the knife.

Jill smirked. “Not totally stupid. Now walk.” She ordered shoving him as Billy dragged himself forward with her knife leveled at him and her pocketing his for now. 

Jill called out Charlie's name as he forced Billy to stand beside you near the kitchen counter. “Already taken care of.” Charlie told her while shutting doors and she stood near you both with the knife. 

“Get that other douchebag for the line up.” She ordered.

Charlie went to Stu dragging him through glass by his ankles as Stu groaned in pain, teeth clenched. His shirt too dark and bloody to tell where he was shot before Charlie heaved him with a groan and shoved him up to stand. Then shoving him near the counter as Stu tried to swing on him and missed. Just hissing in pain as he caught himself next to Billy, and to your surprise, Billy instinctively reached out to steady him.

Charlie blew air past his lips with a smirk and showed a camera from his pocket. “Damn, he's a big boy, huh Jill?…And guess what? I got great footage of my Robbie kill. Better than Marnie or Olivia even.” 

“Good. We'll cut and upload it later to make it all traceable to Trevor.” Jill replied with the knife near your face.

You panted in pain while Billy stood near you leaning on the counter. His dark eyes scanning the room for any way to get leverage. Stu gripped the counter, sweating but looking murderously at both teens holding you all hostage right now.

If Charlie didn't have that gun? This would've been over with both of them dead. If YOU had your goddamn gun this could've been over before Billy and Stu even got here!

You stared at Jill, seething once the shock wore off realizing the last few days you and Randy were so nice to her; you were talking to the killer all along. Her and Charlie didn't seem to recognize Billy and Stu or if they did they weren't saying.

“Speaking of which-” Charlie opened the doors to the closet and dragged out Trevor who he threw on the ground bound and gagged with tape.

“Remind you of anything?” Charlie retorted towards you.

Yeah, did it ever. Only this time Billy and Stu were just as much victims as you were.

Charlie ripped the tape off as Trevor begged, “Jill pleas-” 

“Shut up!” She cut him off with a yell as she stripped herself of the Ghostface robe.

Charlie got closer towards you, blood on him. “See everything I learned I learned from you.” 

Stu shoved him away. “Get the fuck away from her, man.” He growled out in pain but this was a man that took so many stabbings when younger and still attacked you and flipped you both over a couch. 

Charlie scoffed but he knew who had the power right now as he smirked. But…He looked at Stu longer. Almost trying to connect the dots. 

Jill brought Charlie back as she mumbled, “Who are these guys anyways? Don't tell me they're your side pieces or something.” Jill jeered with a malicious smirk as you all said nothing. “You think my cousin Sidney had a shitty boyfriend, YN!? Here's one that fucks you, dumps you…And doesn't even make you famous.” She gave a wry smirk before kicking Trevor in his shoulder as he cried out.

Billy's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared at hearing Jill was his old girlfriend's cousin. You could tell he wanted to kill her that much more. 

Trevor cried out, “The fuck, Jill!? I loved you!” 

Jill rolled her eyes, “Shut the fuck UP already!” Before kicking him multiple times as he yelled out in pain each blow.

Stu mumbled to Billy and you, “Mean ass girl, isn't she?” Sarcastically while he huffed and held his side in pain.

Billy asked, "How you holding up?"

"By my last bit of skin, man...Fuck. He got me in the side and lower belly." Stu huffed out in a wince.

"Fuck." Billy scoffed. "...You know what to do still?

Stu smirked, "Yeah..."

Charlie gave the gun to Jill, “I'm sure the cops would want you to have this, Jill. For your protection.” 

The second that gun wasn't aimed, Billy and Stu tried to charge Charlie for it. Their street smarts and instincts ready to attack in pain or not but before they could Jill stabbed you in the gut again and the most strangled cry escaped you. It hurt your throat to scream with such a primal pain and it instantly made Billy and Stu falter just enough for Charlie to aim the gun at them.

You cried, tears in your eyes at that god awful pain as you clutched your lower gut. 

Jill glared, “Do that shit again and I'll stab her in the throat.” She tilted her head. “Who are you anyways? Shouldn't you both be dead?” 

Billy and Stu had no choice but to back off. And when Jill said that…Charlie's entire demeanor changed. 

“Oh my God…No way…I-I thought you looked familiar but-” Charlie drew out like some star struck fan.

Jill's eyes widened too before she laughed loudly. “Shut the fuck up!...No way, Gale was right? Gale Weather's was actually right about you, YN!?” 

You sniffed back tears, gritting your teeth in contempt but not answering her. 

Charlie pointed the gun to each of them. “Bill Loomis…And Stu Macher. It's such a privilege to meet you two in the flesh!” 

Billy sneered at him, “Great, another dick rider.” He grumbled under his breath. 

Jill chuckled, “I can't believe it.” As even Trevor looked flabbergasted from the floor. “Wow, YN…Little Miss American Sweetheart is actually a treacherous lying snake. I mean, hiding two of the famous Woodsboro killers under everyone's nose and ruining Gale Weather's career over it?...Under different circumstances I'd applaud you.” 

Charlie looked momentarily freaked out. “Jill…Jill, what are we gonna do I mean…This changes our plans! I-” 

Jill took his gun. “Shhhh.” She softly told him in a way to calm him down. “It'll still work, Baby. Remember? I'm YN and you're Randy…Now, Trevor doesn't have to be Billy. We can work with this. I mean, who is going to question who the killers were with Billy and Stu here?” 

Charlie's breath hitched as he forced a smile. “And this time, Randy gets the girl.” 

She kissed him. Looking at you with the gun pointed the entire time.

Stu and Billy sneered. And the idea hit you. Charlie…Charlie you shot Charlie in the barn. He wants to be the ‘new Randy’...He was jealous and killed Randy because Randy got Kirby's attention, Randy was the movie expert, Randy was a cool nerd in school unlike Charlie. 

You shook your head in disgust. “You'll never be Randy…Do you hear me? He was better than you in every fucking way!” You forced out through tears and clenched teeth. They stopped kissing as you practically snarled at Jill. “And you will never be me! You're nothing but a jealous attention seeking litt-” 

You cried out as she pistol whipped you upside the face hard enough to jerk your head and taste blood in your mouth. Billy and Stu had to stop themselves from lunging at her, remembering the gun.

Jill looked at you with a glare as you coughed and wiped blood off your lip. Swearing she just knocked out a tooth. 

“Don't you get it? You're old news.” She gave plainly. 

You stood back up, blood on the corner of your lip as you tiredly clutched your stomach.

Trevor cried out from on the floor, “Jill, baby! Please, this isn't you!” 

Jill gave him a bored look. Leveling the gun at him and holding the knife towards you. You swore she was gonna shoot him but instead…She looked at Charlie.

“Charlie…Ya know, now with us being able to pin this on thee Billy Loomis and Stu Macher…Trevor's role can change. We don't need another Billy or Stu…But we need a James. I mean, every final girl needs some fucked up shit to happen to her like her boyfriend being mutilated. Media will eat that up.” 

Your eyes widened and you shook your head. 

Charlie even faltered a moment. 

Jill glared at him. “Do not chicken out on me now, Charlie!” 

Charlie just shook his head swallowing. “Not chickening out…Just gotta make sure we film this. Are we good on time?” He started putting the Ghostface outfit back on.

Jill smiled, “Oh yeah, we're perfect.” 

Trevor looked terrified and so did you as Charlie quickly threw Jill's outfit on, getting the mask off the counter and turned the inner camera on. He dropped down to Trevor and slid the knife threatenly over his neck. 

“D-Don't!” You begged on deaf ears as Trevor gave a blood curdling scream as Charlie started doing what Billy and Stu did to your boyfriend back in 1996 in that field. Billy and Stu seemed both unfazed or annoyed at best while you closed your eyes and covered your ears screaming over Trevor, “STOP IT!!” 

The sounds of him screaming in pain, flesh being ripped as Charlie pulled while sawing, the smell of blood. You felt ready to scream yourself as Billy to your shock drew you near with a hand on your shoulder protectively so you didn't do something stupid like lash out. Him and Stu watched the whole time. While this was the one traumatic thing that happened to you indirectly that you thankfully didn't see even if James was a shitty boyfriend. You closed your eyes and Billy had a death grip on you. You felt sick whether from bloodlose or this was debatable.

You shakily looked when the screams died down and wished you hadn't. Seeing Trevor bloody and half his face skinned off as he seemed to tremble and writhe as his body went into shock from the pain. You wanted to pass out or throw up and knowing Billy and Stu gleefully did this that night while calling you and…And hearing James sobbing and begging you to help him.

Billy's grip tightened on your shoulder as if he knew. His eyes narrowed. Stu tried inching towards a door and Jill shot the gun near the door as everyone flinched or ducked.

She said nothing, not wanting her voice on camera. As Charlie peeled his face the rest of the way off then stabbed him from sternum to groin as he choked and jerked and spasmed in pain on the floor.

And Jill just numbly watched…Watched a boy that loved her get this done to him.

Charlie took off the mask and shut off the camera with a bewildered smirk. “Holy shit…That was awesome.” He held up Trevor's face. “Hey, YN; wanna reenact TCM 2?” And tried to threatenly put Trevor's face on yours as you instinctively hid in Billy's chest. Trying to face away with an uncharacteristic whimper at what you were just forced to see. Like you were a scared teen girl all over again.

“I will staple that face to yours if you even try it! It'll be one hell of an improvement!” Stu jeered and weakly shoved him back as Billy put an arm over you.

 However, Billy gripped you and forced you to turn around. You knew it was his way of silently telling you to be strong and you forced yourself to not look at Trevor or the face in Charlie's hand and instead glared at Jill. Feeling weak with blood loss and yet you had so much hate for her. 

Jill smiled, “Now THAT is going to get views.” She looked at you. “See with you the world just heard about what happened but with us…They're gonna see it. It's gonna be a worldwide sensation. I mean, people gotta see this shit!” Jill chuckled. “It's not like anyone reads anymore.” 

Charlie took off the glove and showed you guys a video of…Of Randy being killed. Of him on the ground backpedaling with an arrow in him. All alone in the dark. 

“No please! Don't-” He got cut off choking in pain as he was stabbed repeatedly. “D-Don't hurt them…Don't hurt my kids and wife…D-D-Don't hurt YN…Please-” He pleaded with blood near his mouth before screaming in pain again as Charlie stabbed him repeatedly and the video cut off…To a close up of him hanging…Still twitching barely alive as he hung there…Guts out.

Tears welled in your eyes as your breathing got shallow. You were trembling with so much rage and mind shattering devastation. Seeing your best friend in his final moments tonight in pain begging for his life…For yours even after your argument. Even after everything he didn't hate you.

“...I'm gonna kill you…You goddamn pieces of shit…” You forced out shakily through your teeth as tears rolled down your cheeks. “I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!!” Billy and Stu had to jerk you back, Billy the least injured having you in almost a headlock before you got shot. 

Jill laughed, “God, you are so dramatic! So that goody two shoes love and peace for all; is that some PR move or-” She mocked as Billy jerked you and you were trying to fight him even in ungodly pain to get to her or Charlie.

“Stop! Now!” Billy ordered in your ear. “...We'll get them…” He reassured while still holding you back as you stopped struggling and glared daggers at them both tears rolling down your face.

Charlie informed you. “Stole Robbie's Dad's crossbow. I mean that guy on Walking Dead just gave me major ideas and Robbie also…Lured Randy back to the party by recording you and Kirby. Poor kid had no idea he was helping me get Randy tonight. Jill took care of things at her house and Kirby's phone.” 

You could only glare at him.

Jill told you. “We're gonna have fame you never even dreamed of.” 

Charlie looked at Jill in adoration. “You were the perfect victim, Jill.” 

Jill laughed like a teen girl getting away with sneaking out past curfew while Trevor bled out on the floor. “I was SO believable today, wasn't I? I mean, I told so many lies that I actually started to believe them…I really think that I was born for this.” 

Stu huffed, looking tired and woozy himself. “Congratulations.” He sarcastically monotoned. 

You got away from Billy as he let you go and you demanded weakly, “How could you do this?...Sidney-” 

“Shut up!” Jill demanded, her smiling dropping. “Do you even know what it was like in this family being related to Sidney Prescott?! Sidney this and Sidney that and Sidney, Sidney, Sidney! She was always just SO FUCKING SPECIAL!” She screeched.  “And then you…” She pointed the knife at you. “I hated you just as much. What? You survive bad luck and get all this attention? Big house somewhere, never have to work, all these interviews and book deals because your life was hard?...You had your 15 minutes of fame NOW I WANT MINE!” She yelled.

Billy groaned as Stu tiredly mumbled to him. “Told you. Fame. You owe me 50 bucks.” 

You ignored them and stared at her, shaking your head mumbling. “You'll slip. They always do.” 

Jill gave a wry smirk, looking back at Billy and Stu who technically did get away with it before saying, “Come on Charlie, let's get this over with.” 

Stu was losing a lot of blood and so were you as you both gripped the counters and Billy wasn't able to run. You all were pretty much sitting ducks right now.

Charlie handed Jill the knife. He started breathing puffs of air out of his mouth, bouncing on his feet as Jill told him loudly, “You've gotta be strong…And hold still! Okay?” 

He nervously breathed, “Old School, like Billy and Stu.” 

Billy made a face and Stu despite his condition let out a mocking laugh. Billy added over Stu's laughter, “That's right, real deep too. Don't be pussies now in front of your idols-”  

Charlie closed his eyes saying “Come on, get it up-” Before slapping himself across the face multiple times.

Stu laughed silently hanging his head and leaning on the counter for support.

You stood there thinking you felt like you were in a Twilight Zone right now or a damn insane asylum from back in the day while Stu and Billy had sadistic grins on their faces eager to see some ‘fan’ that gave them injuries get stabbed.

Charlie smacked his shoulder shakily yelling at Jill, “Shoulder me, shoulder me! Come on! GET IT UP-” 

You gasped with a slight satisfaction yourself when Jill plunged the knife right into his chest. Billy went from watching with interest to smirking with a dark look in his eye and Stu through his sweat and pain grinned ear to ear.

Charlie choked a gasp, holding his bleeding chest. “The heart?!- T-That's not how we rehearsed it!” 

You finally spoke with an edge to your voice. “You said it. Billy and Stu…If Trevor became James. And Robbie was supposed to be Stu…” 

Jill smirked to herself seeing it dawn on Charlie. She told him, “I know it's going against the script…But this is a franchise. Not a remake. And what the media loves is a sole survivor.” She whispered cruelly. “Robbie was your partner. Both of you jealous little outcasts but you…You were the idea man.” 

She plunged the knife in again as Charlie gasped harshly falling to his knees. Hyperventilating as he bled. Shock written all over his face before collapsing in a pathetic heap on the ground. 

You didn't care if it made you a monster too…There was some satisfaction. Especially when you remembered what he showed you on that phone. “You'll never be Randy, Charlie.” Was the last thing you said as Stu almost gave a little hollar of glee and Billy chuckled under his breath watching Charlie be betrayed and now only seconds from dying.

You glanced at Jill holding your stomach and like Stu things were getting blurry for you. “So…You killed all your friends…Now what?” You asked the bigger picture of what happens when all this is said and done.

Jill glared at you. “My Friends?” 

She walked up to you and Billy and Stu tensed up a bit. It was 3 against 1. 2 grown men, a grown woman and one teen girl…Problem was 1 grown man looked ready to pass out, the grown woman wasn't far behind him, the other grown man had a fucked up leg now that couldn't move as fast and the little teen bitch from hell still had the gun.

“What world are you living in? I don't need friends, I need fans ….DON'T YOU GET IT!?” She snapped at you. “This has never been about killing you…This is about becoming you. I mean for fucksake all my friends and boyfriend had to die.” 

“And your mother?” You asked, trying to be brave but staring crazy in the face again after so long…Worked on your mind.

“Collateral damage.” She mused with nothing in her dark eyes…Just nothing. “That's sick right? Well, sick is the new sane.” She whispered with a small smile eyeing you.

Even Billy and Stu didn't kill their own parents.

“You had your 15 minutes now I WANT MINE!” She yelled in your face. “I mean, what am I supposed to do? Go to college, grad school, work? Look around. We're all in the public eye now, we're all on the internet…How do you think people become famous anymore!? You don't have to achieve ANYTHING!” She gestured to you. “You just gotta have fucked up shit happen to you.” 

You stared at her in shock at her logic of wanting to be you. To have your life. To want to be the victim, to want to have people whisper about you or treat you horribly or treat you like glass. To have a target on your back forever.

All of this…ALL of this pain…Because some brat wanted attention and to get by easy in life?

Billy and Stu looked just as bewildered as you. Stu finally gave a humorously dry chuckle while trying to breathe, still holding his wounds. “I mean…Okay idea but-” 

She instantly shot him.

You froze as Stu got shot somewhere in the abdomen and went flying back. Billy went to lunge at Jill and got shot as well. He growled in pain and hit the counter. Wincing and slipping on his bloody palms trying to keep himself up. Stu laid limply and you tried not to hyperventilate at how messed up this was becoming because of one damn girl. Stu groaned on the ground coughing as he weakly held himself.

Jill laughed, “I WAS going to kill you all and blame Charlie and Trevor or Charlie and Robbie but now?...No…I think it doesn't matter if these two idiots live. Great! Because no one will question it. NO ONE. Billy Loomis and Stu Macher survived? They clearly did this and almost killed a poor innocent girl after slaughtering her friends.” 

You shook your head with fearful tears in your eyes. Billy glared daggers at her sneering, “You dumb little fuck…You think I'm going down after 15 years?!” He grabbed a kitchen knife and took the risk of throwing it. 

It went right into the arm that held the gun as she screamed and he instantly with his adrenaline pumping tried to grab it…You went for it too this time to help him instead of the other few times.

You gasped as a sharp painful cry escaped him…Jill stabbed him in the abdomen and jerked sideways. 

“Billy!-” You went to attack her too, hoping for an opening. ANYTHING! You were gonna die and-

She jerked the knife out of her arm with an almost enraged scream and stabbed you when you least expected it. She made it look like you had an opening to grab that gun and maybe you did? But her determination was just that much stronger.

She plunged the knife deep into you as you saw Billy had tried to get up multiple times and kept slipping while trying to hold his own wound close and slumped down gasping for air…Stu wasn't moving from what you could see…And you just got stabbed again. Deep. Blood spurted over your hand. This felt higher than before.

“Sorry, there's only room for one final girl and let's face it…Your time's up.” She looked so pleased with herself. So giddy as you collapsed onto your stomach.

You laid there trembling, barely breathing with your eyes wide open in fear. You heard footsteps seeing Jill walking away.

Billy looked just as bad but your eyes locked with each other on the kitchen floor. “B-B-Bill-” You couldn't even get his name out.

He shhed you. Cringing and as quietly as he could gritted his teeth to drag himself over to you as Jill started going ahead and hurting herself…Absolutely trying to kill herself by stabbing you hitting her head on a glass picture frame while yelling in pain. Trying to make it all look like she was brutally attacked.

Billy shhed you again when tears started falling from your eyes…After so long of being numb…You didn't wanna die. 

“I'm…I'm scared…Billy-” You just admitted it. Trembling like a scared child while bleeding out on the ground. Things were getting harder to focus on as he laid next to you on his back to keep his guts from pressing against the gash. 

You never thought you'd ever give him the satisfaction. Not at that shed, not in your house, not in the closet, Stu's house, Windsor, the motel- Never thought you'd give him the satisfaction of admitting you were scared of dying but you were.

Your hand trembled uncontrollably and he shhed you again. Weakly telling you, “Hey…Shh…It's alright…Don't cry, she'll hear you. If she stabs us in the head or throat or heart we're done, kid.” 

You shook your head trying not to sob as your head felt like you were gonna faint. 

“You're tough. Okay?...You can do this…You've always been a tough bitch to beat…I should know…Don't let that brat win. Don't let me or Stu win either…” He told you with heavy tired eyes. His head lolling to the side to gaze at you. Both of you held eye contact before he reached out and so did you.

“Billy…I-...I never meant…I always wanted-” You knew what you wanted to say but…Getting it out.

He stopped you with another soft shh and held your hand. He held it tight. His own fear of dying present but his urge to put on a brave face for his ego…For you too; was stronger. It's like he knew what you meant and he released a soft breath of air as if a giant weight was off his shoulders.

“Mine…” He mumbled with a small tired smile. “You've always been mine…” And then his eyes just…Closed.

Mark entered your mind and you couldn't control the small whimper as you trembled Jill crashing into things in the background.

“...Billy?” You whispered. Trying to move but couldn't as you held his hand so tight it hurt. “Billy, wake up. Please…” You whimpered as you were so tired…So so tired.

The last thing you saw was black…And glass shattering as Jill threw herself on the coffee table…And then sirens outside.

[mercurytojupiter]

the labyrinth - chapter one

a/n: do you guys have any idea how hard it is to get my friends to beta for saltburn?

warnings: farleigh being farleigh, which includes underage drugs, drinking, cigarettes and sex 18+

fic summary: ariadne gavin and her childhood best friend turned enemy return to saltburn for the last time

Ariadne is twenty-one now, and can hardly recall the last civilized conversation she had with Farleigh Start while sober. Everything about him is grating. She can't even imagine how he used to be her best friend.

He bites his lip as he throws an arm around his girl-of-the-week, whose name has come and gone from Ariadne's mind so quickly it was like she'd never heard it at all. Alicia? Felicia? She doesn't know and doesn't care. She doesn't. And she absolutely cannot smell the mix of his citrus and sandalwood cologne - a signature scent that they had picked out together when they were twelve, and yes, hers was the matching, feminine version of the same collection - and the sharp tang of cigarettes. She is not looking at his hair and thinking about how he's using the wrong conditioner because it's frizzing, and probably not even wearing his durag since he's waking up in a different bed every morning.

She's not paying attention to any of that.

She sits comfortably on India's lap, laughing breathily at whatever joke the girl just made. She doesn't know and doesn't care, but India tightens her grip and presses a red lipstick print into her neck, she takes another hit off of her blunt and waits for Farleigh to fade away.

Ariadne and India aren't dating, but they are fucking. Poor replacements for the two boys at the table, but replacements nonetheless.

Besides, if Ariadne had learned one thing during her education, it was that boys got off on girls making out. She liked it personally, but she knew some girls did it just to catch Felix's eye. Their loss, Felix didn't find Ariadne hot so he found none of the girls she kissed hot either. India has yet to learn this lesson.

Felix is talking about how some nerd was his hero or something because of the flat tire on his bike, Ariadne doesn't know and certainly doesn't care when the nerd himself catches Felix's eye.

Ariadne takes one look at the man and knows that Felix is going to string the poor boy along for months without even realizing it. Or, maybe he did. Ariadne doesn't care. She doesn't care much about anything these days, and when she does, she takes another hit, another shot, another something until the world fades again.

When she's sober and has no homework, she remembers to care about Farleigh, so she makes sure those two states never occur at the same time.

Against her will, she notes the way Farleigh's jaw tightens when Oliver Whatshisface approaches the table. This must be Oliver "Thus" Quick from his tutoring sessions.

Ariadne snorts as Farleigh shifts in discomfort and sinks back again as the conversation turns to who Ollie is, what college he's in, and other shit she wouldn't even care about sober.

Her attention tunes back in when the shot chant begins.

"Jagerbombs!" She and Farleigh demand at the same time. She shoots him a look of annoyance.

Farleigh makes a low rumble in his throat that only she knows to watch for. "It's your round, man!"

"I should go to bed," Oliver mumbles, suddenly green.

Farleigh shakes his head and curls entrancingly, so much so that she almost forgets to pay attention to what he's saying. "No, no, no, no. You can't snake out of your round."

Oliver squirms in his seat. Something about him is offputting, now that Ariadne's finished her blunt and is coming down from the high. "I'm not," the boy mutters.

"It looks like you are." Farleigh laughs, but Ariadne knows he's not joking. She knows that the alarm bells in her head are going off in his, and even more so, she senses his competitive streak flaring up.

The table boos except Felix, who seems to sense Oliver's unease. Ariadne rolls her eyes. Ever the angel, their Felix.

He's going to get himself killed that way. It's unnatural to Ariadne that anyone could be as trusting as he is.

"Okay, okay." Oliver concedes. Maybe Ariadne's imagining the way he seems to sneer at Farleigh as he gets up.

Oliver manages to get to his feet and heads for the bar, and Ariadne's final assessment begins to click into place. This kid was a gold-digging little weasel, but probably too weak to do any real damage, except for Farleigh, who seemed to be pissed off by the dude's very existence.

"Farleigh," Felix scolds.

"What?" Farleigh fakes innocently. She sees the way his round eyes widen and his lips open just enough that even India's head falls onto her palm in adoration. There's no denying that Farleigh is pretty.

"Just cut him a break, mate." Felix pleads.

It's not going to work. Whenever Felix asked any of them to be nice to his strays, they always got meaner. Her and Venetia included.

For example, poor old Eddie last year.

"What?" Farleigh repeats lower.

He'd never liked receiving orders from the Cattons. When they were younger, she might have soothed him back down, but it was no use now. She couldn't even if she wanted to.

The crack had become a canyon, just like her dad had foretold.

"That round's gonna cost a fucking fortune." Felix continues.

"Pub rules, Felix." Farleigh grins.

Silently, she agrees, but she decides she can't be here anymore. Farleigh's pretty, white and fox-like smile, had very suddenly become too much for her.

"I'm off." She declares suddenly, sitting up. The group groans and complains good-naturedly, and she watches Farleigh stare at her with an intensity she had grown used to.

She sits in her car for twenty minutes, smoking a cigarette and trying to pretend every time she's with Farleigh she can't feel him in her skin when she hears a tap-tap-tapping on her passenger window.

The man himself, grinning his evil grin.

She can't help herself. She unlocks the car.

"There you are, pet! I looked out the window and I saw you hadn't even driven away! How weird is that, hm?" He teases in that tone which he only takes with people he can't stand. She'd never imagined she'd be on the receiving end of it.

She takes another long drag of her cigarette. "You used to hate when they called me that. You almost broke Felix's nose over it."

"Pass." Farleigh demands. She hands him the cigarette and he puffs it gently. "You gave a shit about me then too. Venetia called me a dog and you fucking bit her. At fourteen."

"I was a weird fucking kid," Ariadne mumbles.

"What the hell happened to us?" Farleigh asks. His long fingers twist a ring, which she deciphers as nerves. She hates that she knows that. Because she wonders, if they aren't friends, and they aren't lovers, why does she know him better than she knows herself? Why does she think about the little things he's done since they were children and worry about his health? Why does she make sure with a glance that he's eating well?

What the hell happened, indeed.

Ariadne knows exactly what happened to them. She had a crush on someone incapable of loving her back and took the lowest of all low roads in her envy. She doesn't say that. She just shrugs. "I dunno, Far. I really don't."

Farleigh leans across the console, palm resting on her cheek, and kisses her.

For a moment, Ariadne sinks deep into the feeling. How many years had she craved his affection? How many times had she let him ruin her life just for a chance of this? His soft, plush lips on hers, their foreheads pressed against each other, his hot, warm tongue twirling with hers. It felt beautiful and religious and, above all else, right. Just fucking right. Like this was how it ought to have been all along.

But then she realizes that this isn't what she was waiting for. She pulls away, gasping.

"My dorm or yours?" Farleigh asks breathlessly.

Ariadne wants to cry. She doesn't want this. She wants him, but she wants all of him, not a night like he gave everyone else.

She shakes her head. "I can't. I can't, I-"

She scrambles for anything to say that isn't "I like you, and I've had a crush on you since we were seven."

"You can't cheat on Alicia." She settles on instead.

"I don't give a fuck about Alicia!" He huffs.

Ariadne sobs. "I know! I know and that's the problem, Far. You used to be so sweet. You used to love everyone and you would never hurt someone's feelings without a reason and I don't even recognize you anymore!"

Farleigh stares at her. "Is that why you stopped talking to me? Because I'm too mean, because newsflash, princess, you're not exactly all sunshine anymore either."

"I stopped talking to you because of Arabella Vaillancourt." She whispers before she can stop herself. Why would she say that? He's going to know exactly how immature and obsessed she is and-

Farleigh scrunches his nose. "Who?"

Ariadne bangs her head against her steering wheel. "You don't even remember. You shattered my worldview and it was so insignificant you don't even remember."

"I-"

"Get out of my car, Farleigh," she begs. She wishes it had venom in it. She wishes she had yelled or something. Instead, all there is left is exhaustion and heartbreak.

He doesn't argue, and that hurts even worse.

She doesn't speak to him again until graduation. Steals glances at him sometimes, after he breaks things off with Alicia, and shares twin looks of annoyance every time Oliver does something irrevocably stupid, but never words.

She misses it. Even arguing with him had been better than not having him at all.

Until, suddenly, on the last day of term as she packs her things, Farleigh bursts through her door.

"Felix invited Oliver to Saltburn." He says like he's announcing a death.

Ariadne groans. "You've got to be fucking kidding me, Start."

"He's worse than Eddie from last year," Farleigh complains, throwing himself on her bed like they're fourteen again.

Ariadne nods. "Like, times ten. Am I the only one who can tell that this kid is fucking insane?" She whines.

"No," Farleigh hums competitively. "I know it too."

"Shut up, this isn't about you," Ariadne commands.

Farleigh holds his hands up in the air in surrender before he gets distracted by her bookshelf.

"Is this that old copy of Pride and Prejudice I got you?" He asks.

Ariadne shrugs. "Yeah. I wasn't going to get rid of a perfectly good novel just because I was mad at you."

"Was?" Farleigh grins.

Ariadne sighs. "Am." She amends. "You are a mistake and a scourge on the earth."

"And," he licks his lips, "The first friend you ever had."

She doesn't dignify that with a response and sets about finishing packing her clothes.

"Do you ever miss Bel-Air?" He asks suddenly.

Ariadne closes her eyes and can almost smell the sea salt of Malibu Beach. Remember the small staff of her home rather than the expansive staff at Saltburn.

She also remembers her and Farleigh's mothers at the mini-bar drinking themselves into oblivion and her father yelling at her to be perfect and finds she even misses that too.

"Every day. You?"

"Yeah," Farleigh says, suddenly sounding very small.

He perks back up. "Arabella Vaillancourt was the girl I lost my virginity to at prep school," he declares proudly.

Ariadne bites back a smile. "Good. Now prove to me you've changed since then."

Farleigh practically skips out of her room.

Later that day comes the six-hour night drive back up to Lowick from school. Ariadne cherishes the drive. It's the only time she spends with the Cattons now when all of them are sober.

Venetia stretches her arms, as catlike as ever. "So, what're we going to do about the O-word?"

"Orgasm?" Ariadne guesses.

Venetia smirks. "Maybe for Felix, but I meant Oliver."

"Dad didn't get you the flat in town so you could be a bloody spy, y'know." Felix huffs.

Venetia pats his cheek. "But he never said it wasn't."

"I don't want to fuck him," Felix says sternly.

Venetia raises an eyebrow. "Then why the fuck did you invite him?"

Ariadne sighs. "I wish I fucking knew, Vee."

"Ari and I agree; the dude's a fucking creep," Farleigh says.

"I swear to god I saw him watching me change. And did you know he almost fucked Annabelle but he kept bringing you up and that's why she stopped hanging around?" Ariadne complains.

"Wait, what was that?" Farleigh raises a hand.

Ariadne doubles back. "He tried to fuck Annabelle. Little weasel-freak."

"I think he meant the part about Ollie watching you change, Pet, which I don't believe. He's gone through a lot. Did you know his dad died last week, right before exams?" Felix sighs sadly.

Ariadne rolls her eyes. "He's such a little snake I wouldn't be shocked if that was a lie. And I'm not kidding, I straight up saw him outside my bedroom window just staring at me."

"God, he deserves a good fuckin' punch, maybe it'll set him straight," Farleigh mutters. He's seething, and for once, Ariadne can't even tell why.

"Well, clearly not straight if he's hanging off Fi like you guys say," Venetia snickers.

They all laugh - even Felix- and the topic shifts to god-knows-what.

Ariadne scoots closer to Farleigh in the backseat, feeling like she did that first summer on this road.

On the first day at Saltburn, while they await Oliver-the-Golddigger's arrival, Ariadne holes herself up in her room to avoid running across the Weasel.

Ariadne only ever reads Pride and Prejudice at Saltburn. It is her yearly reminder that love is fickle and takes time and sometimes cannot be seized at all.

On her eighteenth birthday, she had gone with Vee to get the words "from admiration to love; from love to matrimony," along her wrist. Once, she had told Felix that the only people who understood her were him and Elizabeth Bennett.

A knock at her door has her scrambling up. "Dinner's in an hour."

She's shocked Farleigh came for her instead of Vee or Felix.

Farleigh leans against her doorway, already in his slacks and button-down, though his bowtie is disastrously loose.

"How'd you know to get me?" She hums, opening her closet.

Farleigh shrugs. "You always read when we're here. Figured you might lose track of time."

Sometimes she thinks that he must observe her as much as she does him.

"Is this a part of me telling you to show me you've grown?" She asks, pulling her tee-shirt off to slip on the black, floor-length dress for dinner.

Farleigh whistles lowly. "Maybe. Or maybe I thought it was unfair that Oliver saw you naked before me."

"You jealous bitch." She snarks. "Zip me?"

He strides across the room towards her - it doesn't take long, because he's always been much taller than everyone except Felix - and slowly zips her dress up. His fingers barely ghost over her skin and her whole body shudders.

"You look good, Gavin." He mutters.

She turns and fixes his bowtie. "Back at ya, Start. Y'know, you'd be gorgeous if you could keep your mouth shut."

"How will I lick Uncle James' boot, then?" He hums sarcastically.

She kisses his cheek. "You're improving, you should know." She pats his chest.

She walks past, but she knows he pumps his fist in the air from the sound of his clothes rustling.

Loveable damn idiot.

Dinner is an absolute bore. Elspeth gushes over Oliver, Poor Dear Pamela retells her sob story, and Venetia takes two bites of her dinner. Oliver is wearing one of Felix's suits. she can tell, the arms are too long, and the cufflinks are some old ones he had gotten for his sixteenth birthday.

She says nothing but shares a long glance with Farleigh. He rolls his eyes and she snickers.

Farleigh follows her up to her room. She was expecting it, to be fair.

He undoes his tie and throws it across the room before releasing the top few buttons of his shirt.

"Zipper." She reminds him. His lithe fingers are skimming her waist and her back, all the way up to the top of the zipper, and then back down again.

She throws on a tee shirt. "Go grab some house clothes from your room." She huffs. "Your hair has been bothering me since Oxford 'cause you've been doing it alone, I've got to do something about it."

He exits and returns in a tee shirt of his own and a pair of Fila sweatpants.

Ariadne missed this more than anything. The feeling of churning her fingers through his scalp. The way he simply relaxed into her palms. She loves it. She loves him.

Oh. Oh fuck. She loves him. She doesn't just like him, or have a crush, or want to fuck him out of her system, as she had been insisting since she was a kid. She loves him.

She breathes deeply, finishes his hair, and wraps it up in his durag. "When your curls pop back tomorrow, you'd better thank me."

He snorts. "Yeah, sure. Night, Ari."

"Night, Far." She watches him close the door to his room across the hall and scrambles over to Venetia's, swinging the door open.

Venetia is on the bed, painting her nails. "What?"

"I'm in love with Farleigh," Ariadne whispers, still shocked.

"Sorry," Venetia said automatically.

Ariadne slows her breathing to be heard. "I'm-"

"No, I heard you." Venetia interrupts. "I just think it's unfortunate."

Ariadne lays down beside Venetia and allows the girl to pet her hair. "What am I going to do?"

"Seduce him," Venetia says simply, petting and swirling a curl off Ariadne's head.

Ariadne groans, rolling away. "It's not that simple and you know it! I don't just want to fuck him, if I did I would have said so."

"So what, you want to marry him? Because I'll tell you now that's a bad idea." Venetia hums.

"No! Well, maybe? I don't know!" Ariadne whines

Venetia pins Ariadne to the bed. "Do not do anything stupid until you've decided what you want from him. I mean it, Pet."

Ariadne shrugs her off. "I'm not going to hurt him." She mumbles.

Venetia giggles. "Wasn't him I was worried about, Newmo."

Ariadne climbs off the bed, flipping off Venetia. "I'm going to sleep. Night, Vee."

"G'night Pet!" Venetia grins.

When the morning rolls around, Ariadne stretches out of bed at first light, throwing on a pair of house shorts and a cropped tank top. She would never have the old money urge to waste her nice silken robes on a simple breakfast at Saltburn.

She waves hello to Miss Portia, the maid, as she makes her way down.

"Morn' Liam, Joshie." She grins.

The two footmen wave to her. "Good Morning, Miss Ariadne."

Liam clears his throat. "Your boyfriend's already at breakfast."

"Oh fuck off, you nosy little-" Ariadne starts, but silences before Felix can pass them.

"Enjoy Breakfast, Ma'am," Liam grins.

Ariadne scrunches her nose and blows a raspberry at him before she makes her way to the table.

Farleigh's curls look decidedly better, she notices smugly, and she knows he's aware. He's already holding a cup of coffee and is probably the only one in the house who takes coffee instead of tea beside her.

"G'morning, guys." She hums. Everyone gives her similarly apathetic greetings. Felix looks like he fell out of bed.

She's halfway through her scrambled eggs when Oliver makes his way down the stairs. "Morning."

She waves, zoning out. Weasel.

"You sleep well, mate?" Felix asks, leaning a little over the table to look at Oliver closely. From an angle where she knows at least Farleigh and Felix can see her, she pokes her cheek with her tongue and pokes her finger in the air, mimicking a blowjob. Farleigh snorts so hard that coffee almost shoots out of his nose.

"Uh, yeah," Oliver mumbles. He's so mumble-y. It's grating.

"Hey, Oliver, have some breakfast." Felix coaxes.

Ariadne looks at Farleigh and rolls her eyes hard. She watches him smirk and feels a flutter of pride at the effect.

Duncan places Felix's boiled eggs on the side of his breakfast platter and retreats quickly.

Ariadne raises a hand and awkwardly points to her coffee cup, and a maid - Amelia, she thinks, the nice ginger one - pours her a new cup and then places the appropriate amount of creamer in it.

Ariadne silently mouths thank you and shakes her hands in a prayer-like stance. Amelia blushes and disappears from the room as if she were never there at all.

"Can I have a full English breakfast too, please?" Oliver asks quietly.

Ariadne looks at the table housing the food, and then to Farleigh, and then at Oliver the Weasel, and then to Farleigh again. She watches his eyes follow the same path and dip down to the magazine in his lap to keep from laughing again.

"Breakfast is on the side, darling," Elspeth says helpfully. "Just help yourself."

"How would you like your eggs?" Duncan asks, returning.

"It’s fine. I can get them." Oliver stammers. She rolls her eyes. Didn't he just see Felix's eggs delivered onto the plate?

"Not the eggs. The eggs are made for you." Farleigh corrects.

Felix gives him a sharp look, but in Farleigh's defence, he wasn't even being mean that time.

"Exactly. And everything else is on the side." Auntie Elspeth finishes.

"Fried over easy, please," Oliver says queasily.

"Ollie, we were just talking about the Shelley biography." Felix interjects, sweeping in to rescue the weasel.

Ariadne was sure they were, but she surely wasn't paying the conversation much mind. Until Oliver's arrival, she had been at peace, shockingly enough.

"Shelley who? Shelley, Belinda’s sister Shelley?" Poor, dear, idiot Pamela asks. Ariadne looks at Oliver. Pamela was Oliver's best future. A leech and an idiot who couldn't help but overstay their welcome.

"Oh, Percy Bysshe Shelley. The poet. The Romantic poet." Sir James explains as though speaking to a child.

"Oh." Pamela says simply because she is simple.

"Do you know the story about Shelley’s doppelgänger?" Venetia hums, hidden eagerness just below the surface of her tone.

Ariadne rolls her eyes. She couldn't count the amount of times Venetia had brought this up since she'd learned it.

Sir James, clearly sensing his daughter's nefarious tone, looks at her warily. "His doppelgänger?"

"Mmm. Shelley’s housekeeper was cleaning one of the rooms when Shelley walked past the window and waved at her. So, she waved back before she realized that Shelley was in Italy. And she was on the top floor of the house." Venetia had always had the perfect voice for telling a scary story.

"Oh, Vee. Stop, stop, stop. I won’t sleep." Felix balls up his fists and covers his ears.

Felix had always been a bit of a wimp, though Ariadne meant it in only the most loving of ways. Over countless summers they had held bonfires and told scary stories, and without fail, every time they did, All of them had to sleep in Felix's room because he was too scared to go to sleep. Ariadne is never annoyed by it though. It's a reminder of how sweet and pure their dear Felix is.

It was a stark contrast to Venetia, their resident investor in the macabre and overall gloomy and grotesque.

"A few hours later," Venetia continued, undeterred, "he drowned."

"Oh! Oh, that’s just given me goosebumps. Look, Pamela." Elspeth says dramatically.

"Oh, no." Pamela sighs in the same dull tone she says everything else.

"Look, Fi, the only important thing about Shelley was that he was married to the mother of science fiction." Ariadne comforts.

"I heard he fucked his sister, so there's that too," Farleigh adds helpfully.

Ariadne snorts, and so does Venetia.

"Oh, for God’s sake!" Sir James chides.

The weasel pokes his evil little head up. "I think that was Byron."

"Fucking English majors." She mouths to Farleigh. He gives a slight smile and nods.

Pamela and Elspeth talk nonsense about people Ariadne doesn't care about, so she reaches over the table, snatches Felix's apple from his plate, and bites in.

"What the hell, pet?" Felix whines.

Ariadne rolls her eyes. "You don't even like apples that much!"

Duncan delivers the eggs to Oliver's plate. "Thank you so much," he says, big blue eyes darting around like a frightened animal. then, the eyes peer down, and Oliver grimaces at the eggs.

"Is everything okay, Ollie?" Felix asks, that sweet, tentative sound in his voice that, when directed at the right person, could make you spill your deepest secrets and greatest fears.

The way he calls him Ollie, the way the Cattons always take to nicknames for their pets, makes her jaw tick. It's such an odd but effective way to claim possession over someone, and it didn't even occur to them that they were doing it.

"Er, ‘course, yeah. It’s just. Runny eggs. I get a bit sick from them."

Ariadne can't resist the urge. she whistles, quietly. Duncan is going to be pissed. The Cattons, especially Elspeth, will be horrendously embarrassed. The whole kitchen staff will have their asses handed to them.

"Sorry." He says as Duncan clears his plate of eggs, and again when Duncan leaves for more.

Farleigh smirks into his magazine. "Well, I'm goin' up to my room." He declares.

Venetia nods. "I'd like to head back to sleep an hour more."

Ariadne snorts. "I'm sure you can show Oliver to the pool by yourself, right Fi?" She grins wickedly, making a good show of yawning.

Farleigh waits in the doorway for her, and she flicks him in the chest as she passed him. He sets to follow her, undeterred. "Later, losers." She hums as she swings out.

[being-addie]

How to have a productive study session.

When your finals are in 2 days, and you've definitely NOT studied enough, it's normal to panic. You sit down to study and get a solid 30 minutes of calculus done, then jump down the rabbit hole called YouTube. Soon enough the dread creeps up because you're still not done.

As a girl who doesn't attend school regularly due to coaching classes I go to (I'll expand on this later), it's pretty easy to forget to study for exams and projects.

But there's nothing better than getting 98% on that exam. So I'm writing this as someone who's been scoring straight As all my life. Here's how to have a productive study session:

Note: This isn't a guide for romanticising studies. This is meant for a serious, productive session. I will, however, be making a guide to help romanticise studies because I've found it helps a lot.

Before you study

Identify what your distractions are: Let's be real, almost everyone has their phone on hand during study sessions. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb and keep it in a corner of the room. Add a few selected contacts that can reach you while your phone is on DND. If you can turn off notifications entirely, do that.

Taking measures: After I keep my phone away, my brain turns to the next thing it could be distracted by. My laptop and tablet. Put those devices in focus mode, so you won't be tempted to use any other apps and use a Chrome extension like StayFocused or WasteNoTime to not get sidetracked.

Resources: Make sure you have all your material on hand. Video lectures, notes, guides, your formula sheet, and flash cards. Keep everything on hand so you won't have to rifle through papers to find that reference sheet.

Your space: Clean your desk. Keep only the things you need. Your pens and pencils, chargers, annotation material and water bottle. If you want, light a candle. Do not clutter it unnecessarily. Your desk is a sacred space. Treat it that way.

When you sit down

The checklist: Do you have all the material required? Electronics, chargers, a snack and a drink? Water bottle? Extra pen? If you have everything beforehand, you'll be less likely to lose focus because you forgot to charge your headphones.

Make a plan: I cannot stress this enough. You'll sit down and just start studying, and next thing you know, it's 7pm and all you've done is watch videos on celebrity drama. Make a goddamn plan. Write down a realistic number of chapters you can complete and then STICK TO IT.

Begin: Reread and review your notes. I usually like to rewrite my notes in neater handwriting, because my handwriting in class is appalling. To really solidify information, I recommend the 'Blurting' method. Read a paragraph, then close the book and say what you understood out loud. Reread to see what you missed and take note. I did this for my history exam and got a 100%. This shit works for a reason. Use the Pomodoro technique to maximise productivity. Set an alarm for 25 minutes, and do intensive study. Once that's done, take a 5-minute break. Return and repeat.

IMPORTANT

Take a break: Ah yes, if you don't get up every 40 minutes or so for a break, eventually whatever you're studying will start looking like garbage and you'll be back to square one. GET UP. Walk around. STRETCH. You've been looking like a croissant🥐. Eat something. Rehydrate.

Forgive yourself: If you couldn't hit your target, don't be harsh on yourself. Find out the cause: Were you distracted? Did something unavoidable come up? Then try to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Study buddy: This is a double-edged sword. Studying with a friend can either increase your productivity by a massive amount, or it can help you get absolutely zero work done. When revising with a friend, make sure you study with someone who has the same goals as you and won't get distracted by things.

It's 2023, procrastination is cancelled. Go drink some water, eat a granola bar and finish that assignment you've been delaying. Be the person who finishes all their work, on time and perfectly. You can do it.

<3

[sharks-n-bones]

COOPER AND DARNELL ARE FINALLY DONE WOOHOO

Holy fuck guys I'm so sorry this took so long, I had major writers block with these two and I got sick recently and it's been a time BUT NOW THEY'RE FINISHED HUZZAH I HOPE Y'ALL ENJOY AND THANK YOU FOR STILL SUPPORTING ME EVEN THOUGH IT TOOK ME SO DAMN LONG TO WRITE FOR THEM

EDIT FORGOT TO SAY EARLIER BUT A HUGE THANK YOU TO @hauntedghostboo FOR HELPING ME OUT WITH THIS CHAPTER AND THE AU IT HELPED ME OUT SO MUCH

When the flood hit, the twins didn't really realize the severity of things until it reached the village. Prince D spent most of his life in a UFO and Cooper just thought it'd be like every other time the rivers flooded. Both thought that the water would go down in a few days time, and they thought that until the water reached the village. Darnel asked if it was normal for the water to reach the village. Cooper said no

Branch had instructed the village to pack what they could carry and start heading up the mountain, and given that he was the one with the most survival experience, they listened. They made their way up the mountain as quick as they could. The first few days they'd sometimes wake up to the water at their heels. They walked a bit faster those days

Cooper had switched out his “Everything's Good” hat for his “Destiny” hat. Darnell had asked why, and Cooper explained that everything was not good right now. They had to leave the place he'd called home for the majority of his life, the flood had completely washed over it and was still rising, they had to move and try and outrun the rising water, nothing was okay right now. The only thing that was okay was that everyone got out in time and he had Darnell with him

Darnell could understand that. Their world had turn up on its head, and they had to leave everything behind. Darnell hadn't even expa normal flood before, he lived in a UFO for star's sake! So for all of Pop Village to go underwater while he was visiting? He was freaking a little bit. But he'd smiled and told Cooper that they'd be okay as long as they had each other

A week or two of travelling and they were almost at the peak of the mountain, and that's when everyone started building rafts and boats. Cooper and Darnell helped Poppy, Branch and the rest of their friend group with building the ship. They'd brought their hover boards when they visited the village, so they used them to work on areas the others couldn't reach easily. Everyone sang and danced as they built, and honestly it helped take their minds off the fact that Pop Village, and probably the whole planet, was flooding

Singing and building took up most of their time during the day, but it was fun for the most part! Cooper chose to think of this as a new adventure, like when he'd gone to find more trolls like him and ended up finding his brother and parents! Their parents… he wondered how they were holding up during all of this, or is they'd even noticed the flood yet… would they ever see them again? He tried not to think about it

While the building and singing and dancing helped, Darnell still wasn't doing all that great. While building, he kept either looking at the sky, watching for his floating home, or in the direction of where the village used to be, wondering when the water would catch up to them. He'd quickly shake himself out of it though and focus back on the task at hand

It took another couple weeks, but soon enough, everyone's rafts and ships were built and the water was at their heels. They loaded the ship with everything they needed and could carry, the twins helping with bringing things aboard with their hover boards while the other's either gave them supplies to bring aboard or worked on storing things away. Then, once everything was loaded, they climbed aboard and waited for the water to whisk their ships away into the ever growing sea

Once they were actually on the water, Branch made sure everyone got a crash course on survival. For once, Cooper appreciated how prepared the formerly gray troll was for any given situation. Everyone had chores and jobs on the ship. When they came across islands, some would gather supplies like wood and metal if they could find it and other such things for repairs while others would forage for food and collect seeds for the garden aboard their ship. Cooper and Darnell usually helped with bringing everything back to the ship

It took a few months for everyone to get used to surviving at sea, but once they all started getting the swing of things, they had fun! It was obviously much different than the peaceful village life they were used to, and getting through storms was always a bit rough, but they got the hang of things pretty quick with Branch’s help. Whenever they reached an island, they'd gather anything they could before relaxing at the waterside or back on the ship, depending on the preference

Cooper and Darnell would usually splash around in the water or just generally good off if they weren't busy, Cooper a bit more-so than Darnell. However, they still had their moments where they missed the times before the flood. Sometimes, when it was late and night and neither could sleep for one reason or another, they'd sit together in one of their beds and talk until they grew tired, telling stories of things that happened before they were reunited, recounting memories, sharing their wishes, their fears… anything and everything

Cooper told stories of all the shenanigans he and the snack pack would get into in the village, and Darnell would tell of life inside the UFO and all the parties and celebrations. Cooper didn't mind life at sea, it was a lot of fun and getting to explore new islands all the time and enjoy the water whenever he wanted was awesome, but sometimes he'd admit to Darnell that he missed life in the village and how simple and carefree everything was. Darnell knew what he meant. Life on the ship was fun, but he missed his floating home

Everyone got a huge reality check when Tiny disappeared into the jaws of a fish. It'd just been a normal day. They'd finished gathering what they could from the island for the day and were taking a much needed break on the beach. Then Tiny screamed, Guy tried to save him and didn't get there in time, and then everything was silent save for Guy's sobs. It all happened so fast. Cooper and Darnell were horrified — they hadn't even thought of ocean predators being a possibility — but now, once again, the universe showed them through force that the world wasn't all sunshine and rainbows

Cooper didn't know what to do when Guy went gray, and Darnell didn't even know what was happening. He'd never seen a troll go gray before. When they'd all returned to the ship and the twins went Cooper's room, Darnell asked about it. Cooper told him what a troll going gray meant, how they lost their happiness and their music. He told him how everyone in the village had gone gray before after they were captured by the bergens, albeit for a very short time. Darnell was so shocked, he didn't know how to react

The next few weeks on the ship had a somber note to them. They all worked a bit harder and starting working on safety measures to make sure nothing like that would ever happen again. Cooper would try to cheer up Guy when he could, but nothing worked and Darnell told him to give Guy some space to breathe and mourn. Cooper settled for occasionally leaving cupcakes outside his door

They all still sang and danced as they worked, albeit maybe not as often or with as much vigor as usual, but it helped take their minds off things a bit. Everyone was a bit more hesitant to go into the water until Branch made the safety nets so no big fish could get through to eat them. Speaking of the water, Cooper and Darnell had started to notice somethings

- For one, they both loved swimming. Hell, everyone on the ship seemed to, even after the incident! Sure, Cooper and D were a bit more hesitant getting in, but they still loved it! And swimming came easy to them both, which was a bit shocking since D lived in a UFO most of his life

(Cooper wondered if they had pools in there. He'd gotten to explore the place a bit, but not all of it yet. He'd only found his family a month before the flood hit, after all)

The twins had also started noticing their hair changing slightly. Darnell had been the first to notice that it seemed to bounce more when they moved, and how it almost seemed squishy? Cooper had been amazed when Darnell pointed it out, and they both thought it was hilarious

Cooper noticed that their skin that wasn't covered in fur was a lot smoother, almost silky. He'd first noticed it when he and Darnell had gotten back onto the ship one time, both still soaked from swimming in the water, and both immediately slipped and ate shit on the deck!

They'd howled with laughter about it and D had joked that their skin was too smooth to walk on. Cooper had noticed he was actually right when he was showering later and almost couldn't keep his footing. He'd taken a close look at his arms and legs and noticed just how smooth they were. Almost jelly-like… Cooper had laughed at the thought of having jelly limbs and joked to Darnell about it before promptly forgetting about it

It was only after the techno trolls had visited their ship and told them of the magic in the water and the changes it would cause that the funk twins realized that they were actually changing. They had gaped at each other for a bit before breaking out into matching grins

The techno troll had said that, based on what they'd seen, they'd take on the traits and some appearances of actual sea creatures, and Cooper and Darnell immediately wanted to find out just what kind of siren they'd become

They started paying more attention to any changes they'd develop, and whenever they found one they'd run to tell the other. Darnell had discovered they were becoming more flexible when he'd slipped and done the splits without any pain, and Cooper had found that their hair was easier to control. It could act more like another limb than before

Almost 2 months later when they set anchor at another island, the bros we're trying to figure out what they we're turning into when a stranger's ship pulled up next to The Main Course. The funk bros stopped what they were doing, along with everyone else on the ship, to see what the newcomer was up to and if they could possibly befriend them

The troll on board had goggles over his eyes. He wore a vest made of leaves and had teal skin with matching hair that he used to swing himself onto their ship. He'd said he was looking for his brothers, pushing his goggles up on to his head as he did, and locked eyes with Branch. They heard Branch gasp, and the stranger's face broke out into a wide, toothy grin.

-“Baby Branch!!”

[ampheenix]

I'm at my highest peak, I'm ripe, about to fall (capture me) - CHAPTER 1

(BSD/MHA CROSSOVER FIC)

It was just a normal mission.

In and out, quick and easy- for Double Black, anyway. If Mori had sent grunts they wouldn’t have lasted five seconds with this particular Ability user, who seemed to enjoy slinging interdimensional frisbees at her enemies.

How annoying… but Dazai couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. This woman and her backup sure were giving his dog a lot of trouble, and it was kinda fun watching Chuuya struggle for once… battles like this were normally a cinch for him.

Whoops!

A bullet whistled past just before Dazai ducked back behind the rubble. The rubble he was STRATEGICALLY PLACED at (he was not hiding, as Chuuya seemed to believe and scoff at; figures that his dog wouldn’t understand simple logic. The simple logic being that he, for all his talents, was not bulletproof- and he wouldn’t put it past Chuuya to let a missile or two slip past his ability if he annoyed him enough.)

(Of course he wouldn’t mind a bullet to the brain, but unfortunately silly Chuuya’s aim was so inaccurate it was always a bullet to an arm or leg, and ended up being a painful inconvenience instead of sweet relief.)

Dazai poked his head back out, adjusting his bandages- this area was so dusty and dirty, it was starting to soil the cloth. He could already see stupid Mori smiling condescendingly once he saw his bandages, and chiding him for not being able to keep himself clean during battle… Ugh.

“SHITTY DAZAI, COME OUT AND USE YOUR ABILITY ALREADY!! I KNOW YOU’RE HIDING OVER THERE LIKE A COWARD!!!”

Ah, his dog was calling for him.

Dazai got to his feet, dusting the grime off of his clothes in a leisurely fashion, before making his way out from his ahem, strategic placing. His lips curled up into a grin when he saw Chuuya looking tired out for once; it was always nice to see him get humbled.

Dazai picked his way over all the grunts that had been firing carelessly earlier, now scattered in heaps on the ground. How messy of Chuuya, it was almost as if he had deliberately piled them in order to hinder his owner to the rescue.

“CHUUUUYAAAA, I’M HERE~” Dazai sang carelessly, doing a hop, skip and jump over a few bodies on the ground before coming to a stop beneath where the Gravity user was floating. Chuuya shot him a harried look, clearly out of breath as he continued to dart and dodge around the enemy’s rapid-fire attacks, hardly getting in any hits himself.

Yup, this Ability user certainly wasn’t your average run-of-the-mill… Dazai let out a slow hum, eyes narrowing. He had expected this mission to be somewhat difficult, but it was surprising that Chuuya had had to expend so much of his energy so early.

The Ability user was a tall, slender woman with flowing black hair, skin white as snow and an unnervingly wide grin. She floated in the air, slinging shimmering, dark-as-night disks through the air that arced in glittering curves… and where they landed, Dazai had already noted, they left deep holes in their wake.

Not your average holes, either. It was almost like they erased the land itself, leaving that odd, shimmery darkness all the way through. He had checked!

Dazai shuddered dramatically, who knows what would happen if someone fell through! Perhaps he should test that theory later, preferably with himself. Or, if Chuuya annoyed him enough, he could command him to jump in for the sake of scientific discovery.

Anyway, as fun as it was watching Chuuya put so much effort into living (so fascinatingly ridiculous) he should probably cut this short. It was rather tiresome watching that smug smile widening on the Ability user’s face; he had a nagging urge to put a bullet through her whitened teeth. Perhaps more than once.

Dazai let out a melodramatic sigh, stretching and rolling his shoulders- figures he’ll have to finish this irritating woman off for his dog. “CHUUYAAAA! IT’S TIME!!” Dazai announced with a bright smile, glancing up at the fiery-haired boy who was even more exhausted now, sweat beading on his forehead.

He barely had a second to shoot a glare down at Dazai before darting out the way as another shimmery disk whistled past, missing him by a hair. “IT’S ABOUT TIME, HURRY UP ALREADY!!”

Dazai smiled to himself, before sending a swift nod to Chuuya, both of them exchanging another glance quicker than you can blink before-

“Whoosh!” Dazai hummed brightly to himself as he flew through the air like an arrow, radiating scarlet light. This was the fun part, really, it was almost like he could fly- it was a shame he had to focus because if he didn’t, he’d probably get disc-ed and die and Mori would be annoyed with him.

Dazai’s eye glinted as he neared the woman, who continued to grin infuriatingly wide even as he was swooping in closer and closer- His mind raced faster and faster, everything coming to a head as he reached out, fingers inching closer and closer as the woman’s glowing hands conjured another disc, he was so close he could t-

“SHITTY DAZAI!!!!” A panicked yell interrupted his thoughts and he turned to see another disc zooming behind directly for him because the one she was “creating” with her hands was a DIVERSION, WOW, very original…

My, she really thought Dazai wouldn’t notice? Now that was just insulting, really.

Not to worry though, he knew his dog was observant. He was jerked out of the way in the nick of time, the disc cleaving through thin air and then straight through a broken-down building near them, leaving that shimmery midnight hole in its wake. Hm, fascinating.

Dazai reached out, natural curiosity overring caution of wellbeing, as that strange and dark shimmering substance looked almost… liquid. He wasn’t stupid though, he had gloves on, and his finger was just about to make contact when-

“MACKEREL, DON’T TOUCH THAT WEIRD SHIT!!” He was jolted out of the way just in time again, and let out a sigh of disappointment, unsurprised. Honestly, Chuuya was so boring, if he didn’t let Dazai experiment with weird substances that inexperience could kill him someday, you know. Probably. Maybe… Not really.

In any case, if weird substances kill him someday it’d be by choice, not by pure stupidity.

“Come now Chuuya, can’t I have a little fun?” Dazai whined, crossing his arms petulantly. He whipped his head to the side as a disc whistled straight past, nearly turning him into an Antoinette. Hm, as irritating as this woman was, at least she had better aim than Chuuya.

What a shame she’d be dead within the hour, truly. Dazai’s eye darkened as Chuuya sent him soaring through the air again, reaching out to touch and end all this, once and for all- he was getting a bit sick of beating around the bush.

His hand was getting closer and closer once more, ready to cut off this woman’s power and life in one fell swoo-

Wait.

Dazai felt a third set of eyes on him and darted around, instantly on his guard and- oh. Shit.

A second woman, identical to the first one, glided from the shadows of another building. Dread growing in the pit of his stomach, Chuuya tugged them both backwards through the air, unnerved as more and more clones of the Ability User emerged, still smiling wide.

“D-dazai, what the hell? Why didn’t you warn me about this? Is this another one of your twisted games or what?!” Chuuya scowled, eyebrows furrowed furiously as he turns to the other but Dazai is too shellshocked to respond, mind racing.

This… wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t in the intel.

But it was nothing Double Black couldn’t handle.

Dazai shook himself, giving Chuuya the look, and the other’s eyes cleared with understanding. “Shit, you couldn’t have warned me? Ugh, just don’t take too long like last time.” Chuuya let out a huff, shoving his hands in his pockets as he shot forwards to the first Ability user.

Dazai’s eyes darted around faster than you could blink, assessing the situation- it was a shame he wouldn’t be able to focus on watching his dog enter the Corruption state, beautiful as it was, but there was no time.

This was serious, he had to… hmm…

“Dazai! DAZAI!! LOOK O-”

Chuuya’s words were cut off unnervingly quickly, and Dazai stiffened completely. He knew what that meant, and he didn’t want to. A sense of horror filled him as the scarlet light around him started fading, the zero gravity surrounding his body disappearing completely as he fell through the air.

Shit.

 “No, no, no, no!! Chuuya?!” Dazai’s voice cracked against his will as his head snapped up and around, searching the air frantically as he plummeted. Where was he, WHERE WAS HE? “CHUUYA!”

He spun and found a disc swerving through the air swiftly towards him in a downward spiral, and- fuck, fuck, this must be the one that had gotten Chuuya, and it was coming straight for him and there was no time to dodge-

Dazai Osamu’s last thoughts were nothing but terror, dread and grief… and a sick sense of ironic relief, as though he had craved to die all his life, he had never wanted it to be like this.

THIS.

AH. AHDJ. !ADJSKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII#IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII101110110101000**101010110101011010101010101010101010101#@#%!01010101010102393892804822087152HHDHDHDHHHHHHHHHHHH42

01110011 01101111 01110101 01101011 01101111 01101011 01110101 00100000 01110011 01110101 01110000 01110010 01100101 01101101 01100001 01100011 01111001 00100001- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-

-

-

-NO.

-THIS IS NOTHING.

-THERE IS NOTHING HERE.

-THERE IS ONLY DARKNESS.

-GO.

something whispers to the Boy-Shaped Wrongness in the space.

-GO. GO. GO. GO HERE.

-GO HERE NOW.

something shoves the Shape through the empty.

-GO. THERE IS NOTHING HERE.

something shifts the Boy-Shaped Wrongness over There.

something ends the Boy-Shaped Wrongness where it was Here, marvelling at such a short-lived mockery of an existence.

and something WAKES THE Boy-Shaped Wrongness UP.

SH. SHjdH.

DKSJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ%JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJDDDD$DDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS010101010013101031010100130^@#$13J101301J10J1J03XJ131-1310100101@@000000101010101JKCM=

01100111 01100001 01111001 00100000 01110011 01100101 01111000------…….

Dazai Osamu splutters to a start, breathing heavily. His skin feels a bit strange, almost like it’s been peeled off, stretched and squashed, and then applied back onto his bones once more.

And his eye… he can feel the air on his other eye. It’s uncovered.

That fact alone jolts him up, eyes still closed, as he’s not looking forward to seeing a very displeased Mori standing by his deathbed. After all, he’d blacked out and almost died, and Chuu… Chuuya…

Dazai pushed that thought down for later. When it fought back, he viciously pushed it further and further until it was a scrunched up ball of agony at the back of his skull. Then, he inhaled deeply, as it smelled like… vanilla?

Mori’s “hospital” always smelt vaguely of blood and despair (even though it was deep cleaned daily) along with assorted chemicals. This… smelt sweet, but not the sickening sweetness of Mori’s smile. It was something very different.

Finally, Dazai opened his eyes, blinking blearily as his surroundings blurred and refocused.

First, he gawked.

And then, he gaped.

“Ah, good, one of you has finally awoken.”

Because sitting in front of him was a completely unfamiliar old lady squinting at him with a hint of suspicion in her eyes, hands folded in her lap, and standing beside her were… a series of ridiculously buff strangers.

Oh, and a white rat/bear/cat/?? who was smiling at him with the light of humanity in his eyes, despite obviously being an animal of some kind.

And wait, the lady had said one of you? Meaning it wasn’t just him? Dazai felt his heart leap into his throat, craning his neck, and finally noticed someone else lying in one of the other hospital beds, with- with very distinctive fiery red hair.

Chuuya was alive.

Dazai swallowed, blinking furiously as his eyes drifted across all the strangers before him, thoughts now filled with endless question marks.

Because… what the fuck?

[catherinekal]

I'm done! With the first chapter of a new story that I hope I actually can finish. It's fantasy and a practice in writing for me. Ideally I'd have a new chapter every week or two, but who really knows. This is my first real piece of writing I've posted so I hope people like it!

I don't fully know where it's going. This is practice and experimenting. I want to find my writing style and actually make a thing instead of imagining making a thing. I'll be uploading chapter by chapter. It's an original work about a school for learning magic...for now. Please be nice and read it and reblog it and leave feedback :3 Also shouts out to @fayeastria for editing it.

Chapter 1: Silber

Shayla lurched forward, hand over her mouth, boots hitting the shifting wood floor. Her stomach tossed and turned, gurgling, surging upward. Her head felt even worse as the blues of the ocean and sky blurred together in a dizzying haze. Chunks of meat and bread shot out of her mouth and fell into the sea below. She heaved hard over the ship’s edge and felt the sick aftertaste on her breath at every cough. As the contents of her lunch sank below she turned around and slid down the railing, back firmly pressed against the wood, orange hair loosely draped over her freckled face.

Her excitement had slowly diminished during this trip. It started wonderfully when Pa told her how her eyes had turned gray. She was capable of using magic! It was sheer bliss to actually be given the opportunity to learn magic at a proper institute in the center of the world, a fantasy come true. Two weeks later and all that had vanished, squashed like a roach. The carriage ride had been pleasant at first, but the Arcanist who was escorting her was anything but. Dwai was his name and he shattered the magical view she had had of them. He may have the cyan eyes of a proper Arcanist, but they were wasted on this dull mess of a man. Arcanists were supposed to be wonders, green cloaked traveling bundles of magic and passion! All he did was tell them to keep up and gripe about how the Order had made him leave his wife for a whole month doing “this shit”. She had so many question, so many little curiosities. When she had mentioned the silver eyed Arcanist she had met as a child, he had just scoffed at the idea and given no answer! He hadn’t even used magic the whole trip, the lout. She vowed to never be as dull, boring, and rude as him when she got her own cloak. Getting on the ship she was on now had been simple enough, even for her. She’d never been on a proper ship before and the journey had made her question if any of this was worth it. The boat had been nothing but a nightmare. A cruel joke at her expense, the tossing and turning waves were evil. Solid ground! She needed solid ground! Before she could pout more, something reflected the harsh sunlight off in the distance and she squinted away. It soon passed and the biggest smile she had had in a long time was plastered across her face.

Before her in the distance was a mass of buildings, spires, and walls. The great city of Silber. She stood up, filled with newfound vigor, and rushed to the bow. Others had joined her to see the wonder of the city. The port was massive, ships of all shapes and sizes were moving to and from the docks. It was split down the middle by a large river that split into two smaller ones deeper into the city, as Shayla had told by a sailor earlier. She watched them approach it and was taken aback by just how large the river was. Nothing back home was on this scale!

Many buildings dotted the hill behind the port on either side of the river. Rising proudly towards the sky right in the middle was a giant, pure white bridge elevated above the wide river. White, smooth columns sunk into the water below and on each end were massive towers. Shayla didn’t even know what to think, nothing had prepared her for such a sight. A moment later her vision got clouded as a streak of light reflected into her eyes again. Once it stopped she saw the top of a silver tower far off in the distance. It was like a mirror reflecting the sky and stood above everything else. In front of it was a layer of tall white stone walls, a fortress at the heart of the city. Those walls towered even higher than the bridge that had enchanted her a mere moment ago.

This was truly the center of the world.

~~

The center of the world smelt like shit.

The docks were a flock of people, animals, food, cargo, and most importantly filled with the stench of sweat, piss, and shit. Shayla wasn’t unsettled by piss and shit, since a farmer who couldn’t handle that wouldn’t make much of a farmer at all. The overwhelming stench of fish and the sheer quantity of people clustered everywhere were something else entirely. It was a loud, chaotic, and foul soup of people lifting, pulling, carrying, shoving, yelling, and drinking. A mess Dwai had the pleasure of leading everyone through. Shayla wasn’t alone of course. A small group of around 20 other initiates had also made this journey. What had surprised Shayla was the variance in age between them all. About half were around her age of sixteen, most of the rest were adults with a couple younger kids as well. All of them had gray eyes.

As they made their way out of the port she heard a man shout, “Stop that thief!”

Heads turned toward the voice coming from a large man dressed in fancy robes pointing up at some crates. Two men ran out past him. Shayla’s eyes caught sight of a dirt covered teenage boy in raggedy clothes scrambling up them. His bare feet moved fast and he quickly vaulted off the crates, knocking them down in the process. Under him was a group of workers that further slowed his pursuers. The boy landed right next to their little group. Her gray eyes met his brown ones and he gave a cocky smirk. A instant later he pushed through them, knocking some down as he blitzed forward. This boy was a crafty fellow and well ahead of the men chasing him. This was the first time she had ever seen a proper thief, being from a small village where all you had to do was ask if you needed anything and the concept of stealing made no sense.

A blue circle of light suddenly wrapped around him out of thin air, stopping him immediately. His body pushed, legs kicked the ground, struggling, grunting, but nothing worked.

“Oi! Shit is this!?” The boy looked back to see Dwai with one hand out, eyes focused. “Let me go, Snakeskin!”

Dwai gave no visible reaction to the slur thrown his way. The blue circle lifted the boy off the ground and quickly pulled him back to the group with sudden force. The three men caught up and the one in robes snatched a pouch from the boys hand.

“Wonderful work, Arcanist! You have my utmost gratitude.” Three silver coins were given to Dwai and he took them without question, the first genuine smile Shayla had seen from him flashing across his face.

“Just doing my duty to the good people of this wonderful city.” Dwai politely responded.

Finally a proper use of magic from this otherwise improper fool. Shayla smiled and hoped the boy would learn his lesson. With the money returned he’d be let go and know to just ask for help next time like she had done before back home. Her smiled faded away in a instant, eyes wide. One of the men had punched the boy right as the circle of light disappeared and sent him careening to the ground. Blood dribbled down his nose and he started coughing. He scrambled to get up, but a kick to the gut caused his body to flinch. Another kick, then another, a third, and the boy was no longer struggling at all. One of the men lifted him up by his short hair while the other grabbed his arms and held them behind the boys back.

“Filthy child!” A sharp crack was heard as the mans ring-covered hand slapped across his face. The men grabbed his limp body and dragged him off somewhere.

Shayla was frozen in fear. She was no stranger to violence when needed for hunting and eating, but this wasn’t the work of no butcher. Was this really necessary for taking a bit of money? Before she could even process the events fully Dwai raised his hand up.

“Sorry for the minor delay. Come along, pupils!” He turned back towards the street leading out of the docks and pressed on.

She remembered some of the words her Pa had told her before her journey, “Life ain’t so simple for city folk as it is for us. Stay safe.” City life was harsher then she had imagined. Shayla felt very small and alone right now. All she could do was what she had been doing and follow Dwai. Looking around her fellow travelers, some were disturbed, others bored, and a few with smiles of their own. Everyone followed all the same.

~~

The discomfort from before lingered until they reached a wide open street, the widest street she had ever laid eyes on, with nice, even cobblestones in between buildings built as high as trees. A forest of alleyways, arches, and balconies, this wide road was the river cutting through it all. Instead of wild animals it was filled with people. All manner of folks were here doing all manner of things all over. She felt the oddest mix of emotions, disturbed by the events at the docks, overwhelmed by the people, nervous being so far from home, but nevertheless had a wide grin at the sheer size and variety surrounding her. Nothing could stop her from smiling, it was like a dream. Something a traveler would recount at the village tavern as they drank and gambled.

The sound of hooves echoed in her left ear as a carriage rode by the group. After it passed, she saw a group of dwarves sat at a round table, mugs in one hand and cards in the other. Actual dwarves! She could even smell the strong smoke coming from their pipes. Coins were piled in the center, reflecting their stoic face. One by one cards were laid on the table until a big red bearded dwarf shot up angrily and threw his drink at another dwarf’s head as a small brawl broke out. No one seemed to mind. Shayla had seen many a drunken brawl even back home, so this wasn’t so different.

Another familiar smell hit her, raw meat. Further ahead were massive spits of various meats set up over… nothing. Shayla cocked her head to the side, wondering what good raw meat with no fire would do anyone. She recognized some of them, such as pork, whole chickens, and sausages, but the rest was no animal she had ever butchered. A stream of fire shot out and the meats were set ablaze. A giant brown lizard on two legs wearing a pristine white chef’s hat and the most grease stained apron she had ever seen was spewing fire from his maw. A real dracha! They could really breathe fire! This wasn’t even magic, but felt like it to her as she watched the meat sizzling. The familiar smell of roasted meat filled the air and people gathered around with coins in hand. A uncomfortable gurgle and pain hit her, reminding her she had sent her last meal into the ocean depths.

She put her hand around the pouch on her waist. Her father had given her some coin for the trip, but Dwai had paid for everything so far. They were steadily passing the delicious food, but it seems he had no intention of stopping. In fact, she was pretty sure his pacing had increased, stupid married fool. Wife’s probably fucking another man, someone with joy. She needed food now! She quickly turned back to the crowd and tried to squeeze through. Bodies of all shapes and sizes pushed and pulled against her, but she forced her way forward. No time for waiting! She needed to quickly get something and head back. After some struggle she made it to the skewers of meat and reached for her pouch. Surprise hit first, then fear, her hands quickly grabbed at her waist all around as panic set in.

Her pouch was gone. She looked this way and that, but there was no way to tell who had taken it or when. She awkwardly stepped back into the crowd and forced her way back out. Her heart was racing, hoping to see the green cloak off in the distance. The wide street, however, was as busy as before. Another carriage rolled by which caused her to recoil and trip backwards. She quickly scrambled up, pushed her hair out of her face, and looked around. She didn’t see their group at all. Dwai may have been a boring bastard, but now she’d give anything to see his green cloak in the distance. She ran to the middle of the street, but no luck. Curse her horrible luck!

She ran her hands through her lengthy hair and stomped her boot hard on the ground.

“Dammit!”

[ciellunee]

Seeing him tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

Pairing- Nanami kento X reader

Chapter 2- And I know we're done, I know we're through,But, God, when I look at you

Synopsis- kento Nanami is your ex-boyfriend. He's cold, stoic, and more importantly, the crush of your new friend. Being the good friend you always are, you should keep your hands off him, but..... can you?

Chapter 1-

Nanami kento recently rejoined jujustsu high, and you couldn't understand your feelings regarding the news. Texting nanami was either the best or the worst decision, but thankfully for you, it didn't go that bad....

You knew nanami. This is exactly how he responds... he's a stoic man. You knew everything yet your stomach churned, as if expecting something different. "He moved on, and so should I," was your mantra. You kept chanting it. It was stupid, but it reminded you of the necessary.

Packing your lunch, you knew you'll meet him today since every teacher at jujutsu High shares the same staff room. You promised to compose yourself. You have to. You want to you need to.

It was quite a hectic day. Your eyes tearing and burning from working long hours in dim light. The autopsy was rather difficult because of the cursed technique used. Finally, after filling out the report analysis, you opened your phone, getting tons of messages from the group chat.

The idea of your co-worker and your ex-boyfriend together made you nauseous. You never thought about it, nanami with some other girl, it was made you break into cold sweat. You never got to move on. Why does he? He broke your heart. He made your life harder, every night you'd cry yourself to sleep wishing that kento would reverse his decision of leaving you and just come back to you after all, wasn't he truly happy with you too?

Pushing the thoughts aside, you checked the time. 3:25, the lunch was over, and you were starving. Since all your work for the day was finished, you decided to eat your lunch in peace in the empty staff room.

Your bento box had eggs and chicken with rice and curry in different smaller containers. Everything was freshly prepared by you that morning. You remember how kento loved having your meals because they just "tasted better and fresh."

Your peace was soon interrupted by the staff room door opening. The blond you didn't really wished to see standing in the doorway. He took one glance at you, his poker face doesn't show any emotion. You shift uncomfortably trying to focus on your food as you scroll through the recipe book on your desk.

The blonde took his seat at the corner of the table and took out a book himself. You couldn't help but look at him. His face was stressed yet somehow relaxed. His crisp suit had no crease, and you knew he smelled absolutely amazing. You missed being in his arms. The only thing you wanted was for him to pull you in his arms and let you marinate in the aroma of him and his cologne. A sigh escapes your lips.

No class? You ask

None. I thought taking a break to read would be nice. What about you? Didn't see you at lunch

Ah, I had a case, quite a difficult one. Was finishing up reports during lunch. I'm starving. You motioned to the bento box, "want some?"

He loved your cooking, but you were sceptical if you crossed a line asking him to eat.

Sure. He smiled. Goddamn that smile.

He came closer and took a seat beside you. Taking a pair of chopsticks, kento dug into your lunch. Smiling as he enjoyed the nostalgic taste. The vegetables tasted fresh and crisp. Chicken was well seasoned and rice was perfectly cooked. You just knew how to hit the spot.

"Delicious!" He commented, and took another bite of rice and chicken. I've missed your cooking so much. He said, not paying attention to your now reddened cheeks.

Suddenly you were too full to eat anything. In awe to see your kento delightfully eating. You loved that man and no matter how much time passes, you cannot let go.

A sudden click of door takes you out of your thoughts, it's Midori along with Yuuji Itadori who's carrying a bunch of papers for her.

"Sensei!" Little angel greets you before turning to nanami.

Nanamin! Ooh, gojo sensei was looking for you, I'll tell you you're here with y/n sensei.

Your chuckle makes nanami a little embarrassed. 'Don't call me thar itadori kun. And no need to call gojo San over. I'll contact him myself Don't worry.'

"But I think it's a cute name nanami San..."

Midori your newest friend and co-worker whined, placing the papers on her desk she sat on the edge of the table in front of nanami. Na-Na-MiN sounds adorable.

Midori's voice made something inside you snap but you had to keep your cool, after all, you guys weren't together or anything. Yuuji excused himself while nanami and midori went on bout their days. Jealousy wasn't even near what you felt. A part of you was sad seeing kento so happy and cheerful while talking to midori, he deserved it all but just why.......why couldn't it be with you???

[beangusu]

Please please please share your reinako fic recommendations! I absolutely adore all your art of them 💗

THANK U SO MUCH <3 AND OMG I HAVE SO MANY... u have unlocked my reinako fic floodgates but i will try to be normal and keep it to like 5-10 recs

just a warning, two of these have nsfw in them (In The Corner of Her Mind and Heartfelt Obligation) but are skippable, so if you��re like me and aren’t a fan of that then you can just skip the chapter!

In The Corner of Her Mind - this ones an oldie but i read it time and time again bc it breaks my heart in the BEST way possible especially since its set in the PGSM universe :'D if u want an amnesia reinako au fic, this one ticks all the boxes Point Not Taken - also a really old fic, but oh my god Victoria G's fics make me kick my feet and giggle and knowing they were a co-writer for the Carmilla web-series just makes so much sense bc i was obsessed with hollstein..... pls read their reinako fics they make me wanna throw up (affectionate) Through the Fire (Through Whatever, Come What May) - this one's not finished yet but the way the author writes the reinako dynamic is SO THEMMMM 🥰🥰 i adore when people write the reinako dynamic just right and this fic hits that spot for me red on my tongue (the red of your tongue) - i am so obsessed with fics that are abt present reinako finding out abt love affairs between silver millennium mars & venus which either cue their realization moment or push them to confess :3 this one has to be my fav out of all of YNK’s reinako fics, it made me tear up so bad at some parts like they are so Soulmates it makes me insane. pls read all of YNK's reinako fics after this i promise u wont regret it Heartfelt Obligation - ofc i had to link the mandatory princess/bodyguard au set in the silver millennium where they dislike each other at first but then slowly start catching feelings :33 it's incomplete but i love the silly banter and how they warm up to each other in this fic, its so cute 🥺 i like the burning sun (because i'm running with you) - small oneshot thats also so cute where they're just normal teens with crushes on each other,,, minako is so whipped for rei and rei is so stupid god bless

She's the tear in my heart, I'm on fire - the gay yearning in this one is so UNBELIEVEABLY off the charts it's so sweet and fills that slice of life highschool trope hole if u like that!! minako does get stoned in this one, not during the whole fic, but i figured i would warn anyways in case that makes anyone uncomfy Past Loves And Current Problems - ending this with this cute fic of minako finding out about greek mythology regarding mars and venus being lovers teehee ^_^ this fic also talks about ace's "curse" on venus from the codename sailor v manga AND I LOVE THAT i wish more fics talked abt that.... i have so so so many more i want to talk about and show everyone but i feel bad for this wall of text so i will leave that for a pt2/pt3 in the future mayb... i am filled with reinako brainrot and its never going away im so sorry u guys 💔

[seth-shitposts]

DEFECTORS, DEFECTORS, DEFECTORS-

For you? Always friend 🫂💙💙💙 😘😘😘🥰

(Stars, I badly need to organize our docs for Defectors. I'm scrapping together to see what im pretty certain I haven't shared or gone into detail of yet.)

----

The main story of defectors will be split into two or three main parts, I think. (All of it will be in the same fic, though. The chapters will just be grouped into the parts.) Probs 3.

[I have a feeling I'm going to ramble a lot in this one so I'm going to go ahead and place a cut here😅]

The Bridgers//part i

There's going to be the first 5 years, from the night of the Bridger Raid, when Ezra is 7 in 12bby through to 7bby. This is the time span in which Kallus is taking care of Ezra, slowly losing his loyalty over the span of 4 or 5 years.

Year I

Kallus is loyal during the first year, and is conflicted about the exceptions he makes for the bridgers. For Ezra. It does and doesn't go against what he was trained for. To him, the situation is much more complex than the empire would view it and he wasn't prepared for that. His training hadn't included young children and he himself being young at this point doesnt know what intitive to take. So he's figuring things out. And he reasons it with himself, convinces himself that while he's crossing into a grey area in the eyes of the empire, that the goal of this is to establish order, therefore he is still carrying out his duty.

This first year is him trying his best to learn how to take care of a child and gain that child's trust. (Because if Ezra can't trust him, Kallus won't be able to take care of his needs. Lack of trust will mean lack of desire to communicate needs.)

Through the year, Kallus also works on some of the cases Mira and Ephraim give him while they do as promised and integrate into the rehabilitation program. He quickly realizes that they aren't the type of people he had thought they'd be, but more similar to the person who had taken him in when he was young. He isn't sure if he's taking back some of his judgment from objective observations he makes about them or because of how much they're hitting one of his soft spots and he's becoming bias.

So he turns his focus to the work they give him. Which is releasing civilians who were arrested due to a misunderstanding or without any real proper cause. Ones whose cases would have sat in some officer's desk for months, or even years, before being gone through properly. All while the civilians in question would have still been in detainment. Busy work, but Kallus is helping them and it's motivating Mira and Ephraim so he doesn't mind doing a few extra hours of work every other day.

•Before the Bridger Raid, he had done quick work of climbing ranks within the ISB branch. Having finished top of his class already put him farther ahead. By night of the Bridger Raid, he is either ranked 101 or 100. So not to double digits yet, and him being there on the cusp is the end of being able to quickly climb ranks because of how further more ruthless the shark competition is.

•Kallus enlisted to the academy when he was 14 in 21bby. He lied about his age to get in because the bare minimum requirements is that you had to be at least 18. The recruiter knew he was full of shit about his age but still allowed him to join because Kallus was eager [desprate].

[The idea of Kallus enlisting at such a young age is inspired from a conversation we had awhile back with @heart-of-a-rebel16 💙🫂]

•Jovan had been a major help to him in the academy, and because of his help in finding footing, Kallus was able to qualify for the new ISB training program that became available a year later. Kallus graduated sometime around 18 or 17bby, still top of his class. It would be very soon after that that he was on Onderon, when he was around 18.]

•Kallus’s parents had died when he was very young. He barely even remembers them. For a few years he was treated as a feral alley cat; a sewer rat. When he was around eight or nine, a miralukan chef from a restaurant a few levels up slowly worked on trying to gain Kallus’s trust. And they eventually did. They took Kallus in as their own and looked after him. Kallus had slowly built trust with them, and even looked up to them. However both Kallus and the chef became sick when an virus swept through the lower levels- Kallus had just turned 14 and barely survived. Most who were sick didn't, the person who took him in among them. So when recruiters swept their way through the lower levels, Kallus seized his chance immediately, was willing to do anything to ensure his basic needs would be met and that he could dedicate himself toward a worthy cause.

Year II

The second year Kallus has grown more confident in his ability to take care of Ezra and unknowingly more attached. There isn't anything anyone can't adore about this sweet kid. By this point, Ezra has started coming out of his shell and Kallus has visibly become much more relaxed and gentle.

During the second year, Kallus works on trying to build good relationships with Tseebo and Morad. They have vital roles in Kallus’s ability to make the deal with the empire/the warden feasibly work. And for that to be done smoothly, it would be best if he also has their trust. It's hard for him to try and be friendly or personal; the loss of the squadron he had been a part of still unpatched.

He's opened up more to Mira and Ephraim, has seen how similar Ezra truly is to them. He decides to start negotiating with the Warden on shortening the sentence. He does manage to get it cut down, but he isn't satisfied so it's something that he goes back and forth with him on.

He's also realized a pattern between the behavior of imperial officers and wrongfully arrested civilians and has been working on correcting that behavior. Try and fix the problem at where he thinks the source is.

He learns more about lothal and some of it's traditions. Mira loves to talk about it and some of the ways she would suggest the empire change in order to best change and support lothal. Kallus takes notes of that and in his down time does research on that.

Kallus learns that Ephraim had also lost his parents at a young age, but the town he lived in endlessly supported him. And that's the type of community he wants to help build and maintain for Ezra to have and be a part of when he's older, for Ezra and for the future of Lothal. Kallus includes that in his notes and has a moment of curiosity- if the lower levels of coruscant had the resources to take care of themselves, would they have had the same compassion that lothalites had for each other?

Mira and Ephraim add in cases in which citizens were arrested simply because of not having resources. Of those who aren't able to take care of themselves. Or those who have people they needed to take care of. Kallus begins on helping them as well.

Year III

Kallus has taken initiative of helping establish systems of support on lothal by giving ideas and leeway to Governor Azadi and Minister Tua. They're both thrilled, and with Kallus helping back them to the other branches of the empire by advocating that if these changes are made, rebel activity will be lowered. They've been implementing these systems in short bursts, but without approval of the empire, the programs will die off or be reported since it isnt official imperial regulation.

He keeps getting ineffectual and half-arsed responses on the situation concerning the bridger's hearings. Mira and Ephraim have been exceptionally patient. Far more than he is. He was able to lessen their time, but by the time they're to be released, Ezra will nearly be an adult himself. It's not soon enough. Not for how compliant the two have been to everything asked of them.

Kallus has also been getting draw back from his superiors, been met with resistance for the changes he'd been trying to implement. That he can do as much extra altruistic work in his time, but not to bleed that over and confuse it with enforcing the regulations and mandates. They don't want to allow Kallus to reason with them on it. And many of the officers have been more and more distasteful and unaware. He hates that he's starting to feel seeds of resentment, so he carefully keeps attempting to get his reasoning across that this produces the best results. There's so much back and forth and near the end of the year, he sees how Ryder is also getting pressed into a similar corner. He starts to wonder if the empire is simply making mistakes that they're choosing to stick to or if they might actually not have what's best in mind.

Year IV

Kallus still has some hope at the beginning of the year, but as the year goes on its harder and harder to believe it. Near the beginning of the year, Ryder was accused of treason. His replacement seemed to have been aware of it before either of them were. Kallus met her months before and she's worked around on operations with him. He doesn't trust her and starts to lose trust in Tua when she seems to attempt to get into Pryce’s good graces. Kallus is much more careful about what he says around either of them, especially the months following azadi's arrest.

His impatience and anger toward his fellow officers has increased as they continue to ignore his corrections, saying that it's not protocol or not their job to take into account.

Kallus wishes to speak to Mira and Ephraim about it, but he worries that he could put them in harm's way since none of them can speak freely. He's been fighting harder to get Mira and Ephraim released as soon as possible. But he's run out of strings to pull. Over the past few years, he'd accepted several promotions in hopes that having a higher standing will give him more influence over their case. But now, instead of being met with weak responses or excuses, he's being downright denied.

At one point he was offered that if he stops fighting the front of keeping Ezra from being enlisted into the academy, that Mira and Ephraim could be released on probation. Kallus shoots that down immediately. He is not even going to entertain that notion. Ezra is too young. And he isn't even going to bring it up to the kid, because Ezra will feel that it's his responsibility to give his parents the chance for their freedom. Kallus will have to be dead for that to happen. He isn't going to allow it.

He's not out of options yet. So he's going to keep trying.

Things on lothal have been getting worse. He can't keep up with the cases of citizens being arrested and detained. The empire is choking lothal and its people. This isn't what he thought the empire stood for. When did this happen. [It's been like this and slowly getting worse, he realizes.]

Year V

By this point the only thing keeping Kallus in the empire is the fight for the Bridger’s freedom and the fact that if he simply walks away, he's putting not just Mira and Ephraim indanger, but also Ezra and Tseebo and Marida and Morad. Anyone he's grown close to. The empire would not just detain him, but go after them as well. He isn't sure what he's going to do, but he can figure that out once he's freed Mira and Ephraim. Near the end of the year he realizes that he'll just have to free them himself. He'll talk things out with the Sumars once he return from a mandatory operation across the galaxy. Once he returns, they'll make a plan of action.

-But Lasan happens. And in the same point as does Mira & Ephraim being rerouted to a prison off lothal. He tries to act quickly, if he doesn't persue Mira and Ephraim now they'll be lost but he can't bring Ezra with him deeper into the Empire.

Tseebo disappears, and Ezra refuses to be found, Morad tries to reassure him that he and Marida will find him. Kallus tries to work as quickly as possible to find Mira & Ephraim and bring them home. Stars, let him find them within a couple months.

^^^^^ [this is an organization of thoughts I've been trying to figure out and finalize for months now. ]

The Search for Mira&Ephraim//part ii

The next section will pick up right after that and through to s2e11, the era of Kallus searching for Mira & Ephraim, becoming more and more desperate as time goes on.

He helps any rebel cells when he has the chance and smuggles imperial captives away. He works with Morad and Marida when he has the chances.

Over the course of this arc, he grows closer to Marida. She's still very reluctant. Morad has helped Kallus from completely neglecting himself. He tells Kallus how they have been able to find ways to make sure Ezra is getting food and proper clothing, but any time they even see him, Ezra disappears. Steadily avoiding them.

Kallus makes himself blend back into the empire. Figures out how to produce results by framing imperial supports who actively commit crimes themselves. This aids him in gaining ranks, the higher his rank, the more classified information he's given access to.

Though, he's moved up to ISB-051 and still can't find the Mira & Ephraim.

I'm thinking of having Kallus fake Tua's death. Passes her more information to give to the rebels in addition to what she has.

Fulcrum//part iii

This would be everything from after Mira&Ephraim's deaths up to the liberation of lothal.

---

Epilogue

And then the epilogue was originally just going to be maybe a couple additional lengthy chapters of afterwards.

But I thank @mystical-salamander for going back and forth with me so much in the comments of this post because Defectors will be getting an entire spinoff as an epilogue.

So there will be

-The Concept Dump of Defectors AU

-The Fic Itself

-The Epilogue Spinoff

-and then collection one-shots that aren't part of the main story or that explore possibilities that didn't make it to the 'canon' of the au.

[static-errorcode-13]

why I think some of the smiling critters are alive

In chapter one in the vents their are these writings on the wall, each in a different color, and different hand.

But their is one thing that each if the characters is their interests. Mainly picky piggy, you see she's a foodie. But one of the writings in the vent mentions food alot.

And their is more evidence. Every time a cardboard cut out of the smiling critters scream, it sounds kinda like a recording of the cartoon when they all screamed after they had to much poppy Gas, yes I looked back at the cartoon.

But their could be more evidence to this. Some of ypu might know this but their is a secret room near where dogday is. It has levers, obsticals and more. Showing that it might be for a chase scene ment to be in the game, but wad never finished.

But the fact it's hiding behind a wall kinda looks like someone wad trying to hide something or someone. Maybe dog day lied about being the last critter left to protect his friends

I mean he is the "leader" of the group and "Each trusts him to find the bright side in any situation, and to have a friendly word of encouragement should they feel down. He'll always keep his friends going, no matter what".

It could mean he hid some of the critters away into a safe place

But theirs more. Their are two smiling critters who don't scream. One of them being bobby bear hug, instead a scream at the end she just says "I'm very lonely" meaning she could have been left behind somewhere, possibly left behind during the hour of joy, maybe hiding somewhere

And there's STILL more. Picky piggy is another one to not scream, mentioning her friends, specifically on what animal they are. These animals are a elephant, a chicken, and a unicorn.

But crafty corn isn't dead either. When you go to chapter one their directions on how to escape huggy in a red color, and in her cut out, she seems to be in a argument about sharing a color of her crayons, being red.

And I know you might be thinking "oh static, she screamed in her cutout also" and your right, if it weren't for if you hit it one more time, you get a line showing she's not dead at all saying "their we go".

But like I said before the screams at the end or somewhere in their cardboard cut outs, could be them not dying but instead losing their mind, like how they went insane in the cartoon.

And that's another reason why picky piggy might be the next big bad in poppy playtime. She mentions that she's "still hungry" and how she asks "want to be friends" in a bone chilling way, possibly implying that she might be willing to eat anything. Including us

Plus we don't know if she wad talking about the bigger ones in the first place. She could be talking about the little versions as dog day says "their are millions of eyes watching" aka the little smiling critters

So their you have it, a theory with enough evidence to show the smiling critters might be alive, besides catnap, and possibly dog day.

Plus the wiki says for most of the smiling critters "Presumed Deceased" instead of "Deceased" like catnap says

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

7 & 10 or perish

7. Share a line/paragraph/snippet that you were especially proud of.

Okay so I love this chapter just for the fact that everything I've been setting up for 200,000+ words culminates in here (but this section I've chosen also should reveal nothing heu heu heu). Also @needfantasticstories complemented the wording of one of the sentences, and I seeing my work through another's eyes really makes me appreciate it? If you know what I'm saying? But yeah, I wrote this during the poetry section of my AP Literature class in high school, if you couldn't tell by my gratuitous use of alliteration, semicolons, and parallel sentence structure.

[Have I posted this before? I hope I haven't DX I am very proud of it. If I have let me know and I'll try to find something else]

Wild stepped into the ornate church. High stone ceilings flew overhead, lined with stained glass windows—depictions of their Golden Goddess—that sent shattered slivers of light dancing along the cold stone floor. Rows upon rows of lowly stone pews stood in ordered procession on either side of the walkway, stretching all the way to the raised platform at the front of the cathedral. A great statue, so unlike the one that he knew, loomed over it all. The Hylia he knew had hair of flowering vine, and robes of majestic moss; this one's every strand was spun of gold, this one's every fold formed of ivory. His Hylia’s face was of cracked calcite, worn down and rounded out over years of exposure to the elements; this one’s was of sharp, shining porcelain. Little gray wings he’d only ever seen tucked to her sides, like those of a Rito fledgling, were now golden and stretched out in their full glory. She did not lower her head over clasped hands in constant thought of her people, as said by her now-extinct priests; instead, her gaze was cast victoriously outwards, her hand thrust forwards like that of a sovereign, conquering queen. White rose petals drifted and fluttered gently down to lay scattered across the stone pews. They trailed after Wild, swirling around his ankles with every step, as he walked forwards in a dreamlike state to the foot of the statue. It only grew larger, more imposing, as he approached, and himself so much smaller.

10. What are your writing goals for the upcoming year?

Okay okay okay okay. Just because you asked, I'm going to end up having to write out my entire planned chapter by chapter schedule and pin it to the top of my blog, aren't I?

But for a summary, basically--right now I'm trying to finish up my Noble's Warning chapters, which will get me to through February and some of March, so that I can participate in FebWhump without juggling two projects. The Differences chapters, which are pretty much done besides a few select bits that actually need to be written, should carry me all the way to Spring Break and through. During Spring Break (cuz I'm a cringe college student) I will try to finalize enough to make it close to the Heal Chapters, which should free me up until finals are over in May/June-ish.

Summer is when things get real. That's when I'll evaluate how much of Arc 2 I have done and how much time I think I need to finish it. If I'm ahead of schedule, I'll make sure I've hit all the finishing touches for Arc 1 and start releasing chapters twice a week. If not, I'll give myself more time with the once a week updates. Plus, I want to take a break between Arc 1 and 2 just to let ya'll squirm, so that gives me at least a month, I think, depending how hard ya'll cry at me to continue. There's also a whole timeline thing there of whether I want to do flashbacks of a section or if I just wanna say F it we ball, but that's beside the point.

If I do once a week releases, I already have enough planned content for Arc 1 + the occasional Prologue pieces to get me through the entire year and then some. So yeah, that's the plan for the year :D

[niuniente]

Sometimes I just forget to comment but I always leave kudos, even if it wasn't like the next Nobel Prize of Literature. And I forget because I download things to read on the go and then finish it and just forget completely. I guess I'm an odd case? Because it doesn't matter if the work has a million hits and kudos, I'll always leave kudos even before reading (just from the tags and summary). Maybe as a way to acknowledge the work put into it? I don't really know. It's just what I do. But you're right, I mean, I have some memory issues and tend to forget but even a heart emoji is enough as a comment. I also write and personally I don't mind not getting comments, but I smile when I see even a little heart so yeah. And even in smut fics, like you said, an emoji is enough. You don't need to write a dissertation about the pisser mashing activities or whatever. Some people really like comments and I mean, if they say 'hey, leave me some nice comments!' it doesn't hurt to leave a little heart or something.

I always also leave a kudos, typically already after 1 chapter. Sometimes, I'm reading in a place where I can't leave kudos or comments, like during a flight, I go to the fic to leave kudos and comments afterwards. Heck, if I like the fic, I'll go back again later to tell the author that "listen, listen, I've been thinking about this fic for the past 5 months, I like it so much".

I'm starting to think that some people think that when you read to fic, you need to leave 5 star honest summary review like it was IMBD or something. When in reality, it's fandom thank yous and small talk.

I once read a fic which I didn't like. I was hoping it would get better but it didn't. Did I leave a comment? Yes. Did I say that I didn't like it? No. I thanked for the fic and said that it was nice this ship has new content, and it's always nice to meet other fans of this ship.

Think fandom interactions as any other small talk and good behavior. You wouldn't go to a party invited, say "hi" to the host/hostess, go tp eat everything from the table you want, and then leave without saying anything. You wouldn't appreciate this either if you were the host and invited people over, and they just flocked in, ate in silence and then left without even saying thank you. You are not expected (nor you are expecting as a host) to give 5 start detailed review of the cinnamon cookies on the table, describing their texture and moisture level and sugar-cinnamon balance and give critique of how these cookies should have been in the oven 30 seconds longer. It's a cookie! You take it, say thank you, and if wanted, you can comment "I like cinnamon cookies so much, these were good." Even if the cookie was a bit burnt, it's OK. If you want to be even more socially friendly, you can ask how the cookies were made, was it perhaps the host/hostess family recipe or did they find a new one on Pinterest?

If you behave nicely, you make the environment nice, too, and what's the best, you make the host (author) really happy, too. They want to offer you more free cookies and invite you over again, and moreover, arrange those fun gathering you love so much.

That little emoji, that little personal message, has SO MUCH power to the one who receives it <3 It seriously matters! It's the simplest way to participate in a fandom.

[mignonricciardo]

august | dr3

chapter three

I had writer's block for a while on this one, but once it started, I was CHUGGING away. thank you all so much for the love on this <3 august is my baby, and I'm so excited to be sharing it [please let me know if there are any formatting or accessibility issues! tumblr editor messed up my text and I'm ~hoping~ I've fixed it all]

notes: day five (8.5k words)

warnings: alcohol consumption, intoxication, mention of death, grief, mention of first kisses

here is chapter 1 and chapter 2

Day 5 of 19

“Now this is too good.”

I groan when the voice startles me awake, and I go to roll over to reach for something to toss at the intruder. When I roll, my head bumps someone else, and we both groan as we hold the tops of our heads. I quickly realize it’s Daniel. Shit, we fell asleep on the couch. Once I’m finally aware of my surroundings, I notice how my arm is pressed against Daniel’s and my leg is tucked beneath his. Startled, each of us pull away to sit up on the sectional. We avoid each other’s gaze as we look at Michael in front of us, ready for his workout and grinning as he snaps pictures on his phone.

“You had a movie night without me?” he asks, laughing at the images on his phone as he shows us one of us both asleep.

“Sorry lover boy,” Daniel’s voice is gruff in the early morning hours, and he ruffles his hair which sticks up wildly. “You were busy up there.”

“Piss off,” Michael laughs. “I could say the same for you two.”

“You’re disgusting,” I throw at the trainer, lifting myself from the couch to stretch once I’ve finally untangled myself from Daniel’s limbs. 

The two men laugh before chatting about their workout for the day, and Daniel heads up the steps without another word to hurriedly dress for his session with Michael. I put coffee on, sighing as I take in a deep breath of the comforting smell filling the kitchen, and my eyes catch Daniel’s wild hair before he disappears around the corner of the top landing. Michael grins as he follows me into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he picks through a stack of old mail, and he stares at me as I move through the space. 

“What do you want?” I sigh as I rub my eyes, glaring at him once I’ve rid them of the sleep still hanging heavy in my lashes. 

“Callie,” he chuckles quietly, tossing a clementine between his hands, “you’re sucked right back in.”

“No, I’m not,” I answer as the coffee pot starts hissing. “We’re best friends, Michael. You know how much I love both of you. We just fell asleep during the movie.”

He sighs gently, “I just want you to be okay—both of you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I reach for the pot.

“Listen, Callie, I don’t know what happened, but it’s obvious something did,” he glances at the steps to make sure Daniel hasn’t started to come down. “I know both of you were heartbroken, and you’re both heartbroken again between your dad and his contract. I don’t want either of you to get worse. I saw what happened in France.”

His words hit me square in the chest—true concern for his two best friends. I place an arm on Michael’s forearm, tone softening, “I appreciate you, Michael, especially with how you look after both of us. We’re going to be okay. There’s coffee for you both when you get back.”

“Callie,” he starts, but Daniel’s voice as he sings a song and comes barreling down the stairs interrupts him. Michael’s voice drops low before the driver makes it to the bottom of the stairs, “I’m not finished. We’ll talk later.”

“Well, I’m running errands today,” I start, flicking off the pot as I start toward the stairs. “See you guys later. Enjoy the workout!”

I’m pushing myself up the stairs before Michael can get another word in, and Daniel calls a goodbye as they head toward the front door. In the hallway, I pass pictures along the walls—Daniel and Michael at the karting track with helmets on, Daniel and his father fixing a motorbike out back, Michael and Jack tossing each other into the pool. I linger in front of the final picture leading into my room. It’s my dad and I with his hand covering mine as he helps me light the sky with a sparkling firework. My eyes are crinkled as I’m mid-laugh, and my dad’s dimples are evident in the glowing light of the sparkler in front of us. My heart tugs at the image, and tears are welling in my eyes as the memory floods me. Would seeing him in this house ever get easier?

Climbing into the car, I welcome the comfort of the leather seats as I pull away from the house. I catch a glimpse at Daniel and Michael training in the garage on the other side of the house, kettlebells spread in the makeshift gym. The drive to Greenhouse is familiar, and despite the coffee this morning, I order another as I find a spot in the corner pressed against the bay window to get some work done. I pick through emails and ignored text messages from coworkers, getting myself caught up on communications with agents, the publishing house and authors. I save two more manuscripts to my computer, marking them to print when I get home, and turn toward the manuscript I’d been working on since arriving at Madfish. I become lost in the manuscript, marking margins with pen and sentences with highlighter, digesting every sentence as I’ve already moved on to the next. My glasses slip down the bridge of my nose, but I don’t even notice as I become engulfed in the plot before me. I’m not sure how long it’s been when I get interrupted by another coffee cup landing on my table. 

“Figured that one is cold,” a man says, and I look up startled. 

He’s tall and blonde with a hint of a British accent, and I must be staring dumbly as he begins to explain, “You’ve been here long as me and I’m on my third. I asked up front what you ordered.”

I nod slowly, still processing the beauty of the man before me offering me a coffee, “Flat white?”

He nods with a soft smile, “I’m more of a latte guy myself.”

I clear some of my things to the side, motioning for him to sit, and I thank him for the coffee repeatedly after finding my old flat white was entirely cold. I sip from the new one as we speak. “Yeah, visiting for the winter. There’s something about the beach when it’s cold out.”

He nods along with me, “I’m still learning my way around. I’ve been in Melbourne for a few years, but I’m here for business right now. Looking at buying some properties for my company.”

Our easy conversation continues, and it’s not long before his phone starts buzzing repeatedly in his pocket. He eventually checks the caller ID with a groan.

“Look, I’ve got to take this, but I’d love to get to know you more, especially that you know the area better than me,” he smiles gently. “Meet me for a drink later?”

Michael’s words from earlier repeat in my mind—you’re sucked right back in. The ping around for a moment. Just long enough for the man in front of me to start to wonder of my hesitation, and with a sudden surge of confidence, or maybe spite, I answer. 

“Asking me for a drink without even knowing my name?” I grin at him despite the hollow feeling in my chest.

He chuckles, sticking a large hand out across the table, “I’m Theo.”

I shake his hand, “Callie.”

“So, Callie,” he grins, pulling his hand away to write his number on the sleeve of my coffee cup, “meet me for a drink later? You pick the place.”

“MacDonald’s at 8,” I grin as he stands. “I’ll text you the details.”

“I’ll see you then,” he responds warmly before stepping away, answering his phone and heading outside of the coffee shop.

Did that just happen? I stare dumbly at the work before me, trying to wrap my head around what I’d just agreed to. When I look up from the manuscript before me, Theo is gone from the front of the coffee shop, but once glance at the coffee he had brought me reminds me to save his number to my phone. Once I finish some more work, I start cleaning up all of my items and slip the coffee sleeve into my bag before throwing away the empty cup. My drive back to the house has nerves eating my stomach, but it isn’t nerves for how drinks will go with Theo. It’s about how I’m going to tell Daniel and Michael. When I arrive home, parking next to Daniel’s sleek car in the gravel lot, Michael and Daniel are lounging in the living room arguing what to make for dinner. 

“Thank God you’re home!” Daniel calls as I drop my bag on the kitchen island. “We’ve been trying to figure out what to make for dinner, and you’re the tie breaking vote.”

My chest warms when he calls this place home, and I suddenly remember the nerves eating away at me in telling them I’ll be gone tonight. I make an attempt to hide my hesitation in answering, but Michael has picked up on it before I can try to mask it.

“What’s wrong?” the trainer asks, sitting up some from the couch.

Daniel follows suit, eyebrows drawn as he looks at me from across the room. I pick at my nails as I take a steadying breath.

“So, I won’t be here for dinner tonight,” I start with the two men. “I’m getting drinks with someone. A guy. I met him at Greenhouse.”

“You have a date?” Michael asks, brows high as Daniel stares at me.

“Not a date,” I quickly answer, feeling Daniel’s eyes on my face. “Just a drink. His name’s Theo.”

A silence settles as we wait for Daniel to say something, but he just stares at me for a moment with drawn brows. I can just make out the divot in the side of his right cheek, hidden beneath stubble and the shadows of the room—he’s upset. A part of me wants to say something, but until he can say something himself, I hold back. He suddenly shifts his expression, throwing a grin on his face.

“Theo sounds like quite the catch,” he starts. “What time are you leaving?”

“I’m meeting him at 8 at MacDonald’s,” I start.

“I’ll drop you off so you don’t have to worry about parking,” he says with a sense of finality.

“Daniel, it’s really okay. I wasn’t planning on drinking much and-”

“I’m dropping you off,” he states finally, and Michael looks between us as we battle with our words. “If he’s such a catch, he should bring you home like a gentleman.”

Silence falls across the room, and Michael stands to break the growing silence, “Well, I’ll work on dinner. Cal, I’ll leave you some in the fridge for when you get back.”

Michael walks toward the kitchen, opening the fridge and gathering ingredients to start on whatever he is making. Daniel and I continue our faceoff, staring at one another before I huff and grab my bag to head toward the stairs. I inform them I’m going to finish some work before getting ready, and I don’t look back as Daniel’s eyes follow me up the steps. I drop my bag in my room next to the stack of leaning books, sighing as I flop on to the bed. I stare up at the ceiling and the still fan as memories flood me.

“You can’t be serious,” Daniel says, following me up the stairs. “Does your brother have any idea?”

“No, and he won’t because you’ll keep your mouth shut,” I answer defiantly as he follows me into my room. “I can make my own decisions.”

“Apples, he’s a dick,” Daniel continues as I pick through my closet. “I’m just trying to protect you.”

“He’s nice and actually interested in me,” I glare at him. “Besides, it’s not your job to protect me.”

“Yes, it is,” he calls, flopping onto my bed. “As your best friend and brother’s best friend, it is entirely my job to protect you.”

“Won’t Allison be there?” I roll my eyes, feeling jealousy rear its ugly head. 

“It’s Alyssa, but yeah, I think she’s going,” he lays back on my pillow, poking the stuffed dolphin next to his head. 

“Perfect, you can hang out with her while I have a good time with Liam,” I pull a bikini from the depths of my closet and toss it to the bed. 

Daniel picks it up gingerly with his fingertips, eyes wide as he holds it up for inspection, “No way in hell you’re wearing this, Callie. You have to make him work for it at least a little bit. It’s Liam fucking Anderson.”

“Excuse me?” I spit at him, scoffing as my eyebrows reach toward my hairline. 

“Excuse me?” he responds in a mocking tone. “You can practically see everything! You’re 15, Callie!”

“Do I need to remind you what you did last summer?” my voice is raising in volume as he interrogates me. 

“This isn’t the same,” he rolls his eyes. “You’re a girl, Cal. You know people don’t talk about us the same. I’m just looking out for you.”

“Looking out for me?” I scoff, pulling the bikini from his fingers. “Please. Cut the bullshit and then maybe I’ll listen.”

“He’s going to break your heart,” Daniel says matter-of-factly. 

I glare at him where he’s spread on the bed, curls fanned out around his head and tan skin seeming darker against the mint duvet. He tosses the stuffed dolphin above his head, lean arms flexing as he does, and the single earring in his lobe glints with each pass of his arm. He eventually meets my eyes, catching my dolphin and holding it against his chest. Silence ensues as we stare at each other—one of our infamous showdowns. He is the first to break beneath the weight of my angry eyes.

“Callie, you need to trust me that I’m looking out for you.”

I start to waver beneath his gaze. Stuck in his brown eyes and easy tone, my angry face starts to crumble. 

“You need to let me do things on my own,” I answer. “You need to let me be free one day.”

“And I will,” he starts, sitting up to look at me more closely. “I will when I know it’s someone who isn’t going to break your heart.”

“Like Alyssa won’t break yours?” I challenge him, eyes locked onto his.

“She doesn’t have my heart or whatever you girls say,” he smirks with a laugh, but his eyes return to mine. “It’s why I know Liam will break yours. I know how guys work.”

“And do enlighten me,” I spit at him, anger rising the closer he gets to me. 

Daniel stands from my bed, suddenly towering over me and leaving the dolphin and bikini forgotten on the mattress, “He’ll take one look at you in that and immediately want to kiss you.”

“And that’s bad because?” my voice trails off, suddenly growing quieter as I notice how close he is.

“Because you’ll have your first kiss with someone like that,” Daniel says, voice quieter as he continues his slow step into my space. “Someone who only sees your body instead of you.”

“Then who should my first kiss be?” I throw at him as I try to ignore my heart leaping into my throat. “Don’t have a lot of takers.”

Daniel chuckles at my comment, “I see how guys look at you. There’s a lot of takers.”

“You’re just saying that,” I scoff. 

“Why are you so nervous?” he smirks suddenly. “Surely, that’s why you haven’t kissed anyone yet.”

My face burns red, and I hope that Daniel will get the hint, but he refuses to end my embarrassment and misery. His smirk deepens as I feel my face light up in flames. Even my ears are burning. 

“I don’t know how,” I whisper, hyper aware of his torso only inches away from me. “I’m nervous to mess it up.”

“It’s completely natural, Apples,” he says immediately, his smirk playful but not mocking. “I promise you.”

“It’s natural?” I ask, and he nods emphatically. “Entirely.”

Silence falls for a second, and our breaths fill the space between us. My eyes trace the light freckles across his face like a roadmap, and his eyes dip to my lips and back to my gaze. His intake of breath steals mine from my lungs.

“Do you want me to show you?”

Before I know it, I’m nodding my head gingerly, and his hand rests softly on my cheek. Fingers curl behind my head and neck. He lifts his eyebrows as if to ask if it’s okay, and with a subtle nod and parting of my lips, he leans forward. Our lips meet briefly, but it’s enough to send butterflies bursting in my stomach. When he pulls away, my eyes open softly, and I notice my hand on his chest. Silence hangs, but he clears his throat when we hear footsteps on the stairs.

“Are you guys almost ready?” Jack calls, not even looking into my room as he saunters down the hall toward his bedroom. “I’m not waiting for you like last time, Callie!”

“We’ll be ready!” Daniel calls, cheeks with a hint of pink as his eyes stay on mine. 

There’s space between us now, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around what just happened. Daniel kissed me. That’s what happened. It was sweet. Soft. Everything I ever wanted. 

“See?” he says suddenly. “Entirely natural. You’ll be fine.”

“Thanks,” I whisper, eyebrows drawn as he starts to walk toward the door. 

“You’re ready for your first kiss,” he grins his signature smile. “Liam won’t know what hit him.”

The memory continues to replay in my mind as I get ready, flashing in images as I do my makeup in the bathroom mirror or digging through my finally unpacked bags for a suitable outfit. That was the first time anyone had kissed me yet alone the first time Daniel had. It was soft and sweet, and everything my 15-year-old self needed to boost her confidence. It was so Daniel—sweet yet playful, caring yet casual. 

I glance in the mirror in my room, the same mirror I had scrutinized my appearance in some 15 years before, and I consider the outfit. A white tank tucked into my favorite denim, complemented by gold jewelry and platform Converses. The black leather jacket and purse sit on the end of my bed as I spray perfume and make sure my bangs are sitting right. I can hear the boys downstairs, turning my music up on my phone to drown them out. As I rush around the room, finishing getting ready, I miss the footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Callie, are you almost-”

I jump as I spin around in the room, shrieking as I look toward the door. Daniel stands in the doorway, lips still parted from his unfinished question and forearms resting on the door as he leans in. His eyes are on me, and I can’t help but feel his stare. We’re silent for a moment, looking at each other while our brains fire at rapid speed.

“You look good, Cal,” he says after clearing his throat, eyes lingering on my tank before meeting my face. “Hopefully you’re not too cool for him.”

“Too cool for him?” I ask, hyper aware of his eyes on me.

Daniel laughs as he nods his head, “Yeah, you’re too cool for him. He’ll be wearing a suit.”

“Believe it or not, a suit looks good on men, Dan,” I grin. “I know you wouldn’t really know that, though.”

He laughs at my dig, groaning an ouch as he brushes his own shoulder. I laugh at his act, trying to remember my annoyance at him from earlier. I grab my jacket, shrugging it over my shoulders, and slinging my purse across one of them. He watches me from the doorway, forearms still pressed into the wood, and I stand before him once I have everything. Neither of us yield at first until I finally break the silence.

“So, are you ready to go?” I say, waiting for him to move out from the door. 

He does one last glance at me before answering, “I’ll grab my keys. We’ll intimidate him by using my car.”

“Daniel!” I shriek, but I can’t help the grin spreading on my face at his comment.

Is he jealous? I follow him down the wooden stairs, laughing as he presents me to Michael who whistles at my appearance. Michael makes a comment about not coming home too late, and a sudden pang rips through me—it’s something my dad would have said years before in the very same spot. Making dinner with a towel over his shoulder, Dad would make Jack promise he’d have me home, and Daniel would always be there to make sure he listened. I freeze at Michael’s comment, nodding my head absently as Daniel reaches for his keys, and while the two boys notice my sudden change in demeanor, they act no differently. Michael wishes me luck before Daniel shuts the door behind me. 

The drive is familiar even with how dark it is. The road winds away from the house, and Daniel plays something through his phone that reverberates through the car. It’s a house song I recognize as one he had sent me earlier during the season. With every good luck text from me, he’d send me the song he was listening to before the race. It was a little tradition that had started despite our strained relationship. Our silence stretches. 

“Are you okay?” his voice startles me as I watch the moon reflect off passing waves. 

I glance at him and debate telling the truth before settling on a lie, “Just a little nervous. Last time I’ve really done a date or anything was April.”

“Right, the ex,” he says, seemingly buying my excuse. “What exactly happened there? I know you said you didn’t love him, but…”

His voice trails off, and I meet his eyes before turning back toward my window, “I’ll be honest—he made it hard to want to love him. Even when I tried, I couldn’t make it.”

“I don’t think you should have to try to love someone,” he says quietly over the music. “If you love them, it should work.”

“I think you can try not to love someone, but you’ll love them anyway,” I whisper. “Even when you know you shouldn’t.”

Daniel opens his mouth to answer, but he shuts it again as words fail him. I can’t tell what’s running through his brain. His eyebrows furrow, and a divot appears in between them. He takes a sharp breath when he finally finds his words, “So even trying to love him, you didn’t?”

I nod my head, “I never loved him no matter how hard I tried. That wasn’t enough for him.”

There’s a sense of finality to my words, and Daniel chooses not to push the topic any further. He could sense something had happened that I won’t divulge, so he continues his drive. We make small talk, and I mainly let him fill me in on more things I had missed over the two years I didn’t see him in person. He tells me stories about his time with McLaren and getting to know his young teammate, his break in Montana, how he spent his isolation in Bahrain. The emotions surrounding the reminder of my dad ease as he laughs at his own story, and I’m hit with waves of gratitude for the man sitting next to me. He pulls up to the parking lot of MacDonald’s, face suddenly serious as I start to sling my bag over my shoulder.

“You’ll call me if anything happens or if you need a ride home, yeah?”

My heart tugs at his use of the word home, and my chest goes warm at his sincere look. I nod my head, promising him I’ll call or text him later about how and if I’m coming home. I step out of the car, ready to shut the door.

“Thank you,” I say suddenly, catching myself off guard with my sudden admission. “For the ride and for the compliment earlier. I didn’t say thank you when you came into my room.”

He smiles softly, “You’re welcome, Cal. I meant what I said. You look good tonight.”

I blush at his words, eyes cast to the ground to avoid the sudden intensity of his gaze. 

“Now, go get your posh man,” he grins with a laugh, poorly impersonating a British accent. “Show him what it’s like to be with a Sheila.”

I laugh at his use of the Australian slang, thanking him once again before shutting the door and heading inside. He waits to pull away from the bar until I’m out of sight. The bar hasn’t changed much since I was last here. It was with Mum, Dad and Jack right after we found out Dad’s diagnosis. We still had hope, so we came down to Madfish for the day, opting to stay at the beloved beach home for the night before making our way back to Perth. The four of us drank at MacDonald’s—it was our last trip before we got the news of just how bad it was going to be. The place is exactly as I remembered it, and I sit at the bar before texting Theo that I’m here. It’s 10 minutes before he answers that he’s on his way and 20 minutes before he busts through the doors of the pub. I hold back laughter when I see him in his suit—Daniel was right. 

Theo greets me with a brief hug, arm wrapping around my shoulder, and he sits next to me on one of the barstools. I catch how he glances around the place with his lips downturned, judging the older rock music and pinball machine in the corner. He makes a comment about no wine being served, and I hold my tongue as he looks through the draft list. He eventually settles on a glass of what I’m having, but he barely sips it before asking me about the place and the rest of my day. 

Conversation is stilted with Theo talking mostly about himself and his corporate job. It’s not long before I officially decide the date is a bust, but I nod along to be polite and I ask questions for more detail where appropriate. I’ve downed my third beer before he asks me a question about myself. 

“That’s why I’m in town right now. Why are you here in the winter?”

I take a swig of my beer, noting the warmth buzzing in my toes, “I used to come all the time as a kid. My best friend and I have been having a tough time as of late, so we decided we needed a break.”

“Work been tough?” he asks, fingers holding his glass without taking a sip. 

“For him, it has been,” I answer honestly. “Mine is life-related.”

He finally takes a sip of his drink, but he makes a face as he does, “Oh, I understand you there. The business has been getting so crazy over in Melbourne, and we’re talking about relocating to a new building which means I’ll have to move to get an apartment closer for the commute. I have no time for a social or personal life.”

“My dad died last year,” I say suddenly, bluntly, with my eyes staring ahead past the bartender’s head. 

Perhaps it was the moment in the kitchen. Maybe it was the reminder of the last time I was in this bar. Whatever it is—my time around Daniel, my time in the house, my time around reminders of Dad—it breaks loose from me.

Theo is at a loss for words, looking awkwardly at his drink before he answers, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It was cancer,” I continue, feeling the overwhelming urge to talk about him after holding it in since my mum first called me with the news. “He was only 58.” 

The floodgates are broken, and I start dumping things that have been buried so deeply, I don’t even realize they’re coming out of my mouth. I blame the alcohol. It probably doesn’t matter to the man sitting next to me. Even when the conversation steers away from my dad, something will come up that reminds me of him, and it’s like we’re going in circles. His phone starts ringing, and he apologizes half-heartedly as he steps outside of the crowded bar to answer it.  Minutes pass, and I glance over my shoulder to look for him as his beer sits on the counter next to me. It’s nearly full. I don’t catch a glimpse of him, and after another ten minutes with no sign of him, I officially accept I’ve scared him off with my baggage. I take his beer in repayment, taking a long drink of the beer to bury the embarrassment festering in my stomach. I’m reaching for my phone before I realize it.

“Cal? Are you okay?”

“Daniel, can you come get me?” I ask, fighting the tears welling in my eyes as my voice cracks. 

“I’m going to kill him,” I can hear him moving on the other end. “What did he do?”

“He left without saying anything,” the tears start now, and I take a shaky breath. “He said he was getting a call and never came back. Please can you just come get me? I don’t want to sit here alone and look pathetic.”

“I’m on my way,” he says, car dinging in the background and engine turning over. “He just left?”

“I started talking about Dad,” I whisper, voice aching as my lips quiver. 

“Cal,” his voice is gentle, devoid of any of his previous anger or typical humor.

“Please, just come get me,” I wipe my eyes. “I want to go home.”

“I’m coming as fast as I can, Apples,” his tone is sincere. “I’m only ten minutes away.”

The house is at least 25 minutes away from MacDonald’s. He never left?

“You didn’t go home?”

He hesitates, and I catch him clearly as he does, “I stayed in town in case you needed me. I’m parked just outside of Gulliver’s.”

More tears well in my eyes, but it’s from his admittance to waiting in case I needed him. He sat outside the bookstore Dad used to take us to as kids. Michael and Jack never wanted to go, and I’m not even sure Daniel wanted to be there, but he never told me no. We’d dig through stacks of books until Dad made us leave. He’d always let us get one. Sometimes Daniel would pick one I wanted so I left with two books—he’d slip it into my room when I wasn’t around.

“Thank you, Daniel,” my voice is wavering now as tears make their way down my cheeks.

He promises to be here soon when I hang up, and I down the rest of my drink in his absence. I wipe my eyes to keep from too many people in the bar staring at me. I stare at the wall beyond the counter, looking at the pictures plastering the walls along with license plates and signs and neon lights. There’s pictures of rugby stars, football stars, soccer stars and even racing stars. There’s a picture of Senna hoisting his trophy from Adelaide—a picture that I recognized from Daniel’s room from when we were young. There’s one of Daniel near him. Canada 2014 with his trophy held high over his head. A Springsteen song starts playing over the radio, and if I close my eyes, I can hear Dad singing along to the raspy vocals. There’s a commotion near the door toward the end of the song as people are suddenly laughing and a couple of claps arise. I turn toward the door to see Daniel, laughing along with the bouncer and some of the seemingly regulars flocking around the entrance. He shakes hands with some of them as they clap him on the back, and I can see the smiles beaming on all their faces as they talk to him about the season and to keep pushing. When he looks up to the counter, his smile grows as our eyes meet. He finishes his conversation, eyes barely leaving mine, before he makes his way toward me leaning against the counter.

“You came,” I say, eyes wide in what must look like adoration.

He stands before me, smiling with a soft gaze. Brown eyes suck me in beneath the dim light of the bar. His thick flannel hands loosely from his shoulders as he sticks his hands in his pockets.

“You called,” he answers as if it were obvious he was waiting for me. 

I’m staring. I can feel myself staring, and it’s so bloody obvious, but he does it right back. He breaks his gaze to sit at the bar next to me, and I follow his every move before spinning back toward my empty glass. There’s a silence as he takes in my appearance—glassy eyes and remnants of smeared mascara. I order another beer from the bartender who takes away my empty glass. 

“You’re on the wall,” I say to break the silence, sipping from the fresh draft. “Your win in Canada.”

He looks to where I’m pointing, squinting before laughing softly at the image of younger him, “You know, I remember how mad you were because you weren’t there. On the phone, you’d go from yelling about how mad you were that you missed it to crying because you were proud of me.”

“Dad and I stayed up for that race. It was 3 a.m., but we stayed up to watch it together,” I start as the memory takes over. “Jack woke up from our screaming when you took second and came to join us. We all watched as you won, and Mum woke up to see the podium celebration.”

“You called me only a few hours after the race. Did you sleep at all?” he grins as I share the memory with him.

I shake my head, “How could I? I was itching to call you, but I didn’t want to do it too soon and bother you with all the post-race celebrations and media things.”

“You’re never bothering me, Cal,” he says, voice more serious than before. “Not then, and not now.”

“I was your childhood best friend back home, Dan,” I shrug my shoulders. “I’m sure I wasn’t the first person you wanted to talk to.”

He starts to form an answer, lips parting to speak, but I’ve moved the conversation on to avoid dwelling on when I had a hopeless crush on the driver. I point a finger near his picture on the wall again, focusing my unsteady hand on the other driver on the wall.

“You’re near Senna. It’s from Adelaide,” I say, feeling my words starting to slur.

He follows my shaky finger, pride swelling in his chest at my recognizing the picture. He remembers telling me about the race when I asked him about the picture on his wall. His favorite racer was immortalized on his walls and shelves, and he used to tell me about how great he was. Daniel was just old enough to remember, and I was too young to have watched the iconic driver. He laughs quietly as glowing pride spreads warmth across his body.

“You remember?” he asks quietly, elbow bumping mine on the counter. 

“You loved him. How could I forget?”

I turn away from the picture to catch a glimpse of him, but he’s staring at my face already. Our eyes meet, and I’m not sure how long we sit in our silent gaze. His skin looks even darker in the dim light of the bar, freckles and moles barely visible across his cheeks and neck. Black curls and brown eyes reflect the neon lights on the opposite wall. 

He laughs quietly, “You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“No,” I nod my head insteads of shaking, indicating my intoxicated state.

He laughs even louder now, tipping back in his seat with his hand on my arm, “Oh my god, Callie, you’re definitely drunk. You're squinting when you look at me.”

“Can you blame me?” I scoff, trying to keep my eyes wider as they were falling shut. “I come on a date for the first time in months, bring up my dead dad, and then he leaves without saying anything. I think I’m allowed to be drunk.”

Daniel shifts in his seat at the mention of Dad, letting my words hang for a moment, “Do you want to talk about him?”

“Not yet,” I shake my head, hand resting on his over my arm with a gentle squeeze. “I can’t talk about him without crying.”

“It’d probably be good to get some of it out, and-”

“Daniel,” I whisper, the alcohol taking full effect as tears fill my eyes again. 

His heart splinters as my lips quiver and voice cracks, and he twists his hand to squeeze mine. We look at each other, ignoring the people in the bar and the cheers of mate, there’s a driver here. His smile falters, and he nods his head gently.

“When you’re ready, Apples,” he whispers. 

We sit in the bar for another drink as we reminisce on childhood and teenage memories in Madfish. Daniel orders two beers, one for me and one for him, and I argue with him as he replaces my card on the tab with his. My brain is growing fuzzy as I stumble over my words, and the nostalgia as we share memories has me suddenly feeling choked. Daniel laughs at me as tears threaten at my lashes again, and his laughter continues as he hugs me gently with my head on his shoulder as I sniffle. I hear him tell the bartender to close the tab, promising he’s giving me no more to drink. His glass is half full still. Daniel pulls me from my barstool, leading me out of the bar and bidding goodbye to the men near the exit as they cheer for him again. They cheer when I start clapping, and Daniel can’t help his contagious laughter as he guides me through the doors and into his car. He laughs as I sing along to the older rock songs coming through the stereo as he drives home, waving my hands and pretending to sing into a microphone. The alcohol starts to pull me toward drowsiness, and Daniel is holding back laughter as my singing morphs to light snoring with my head pressed toward the window. He wakes me up once we’ve arrived home, laughing at my confused demeanor.

“C’mon, let’s get you in,” he says, pulling me from the leather seat. 

The living room and kitchen are dark, and Daniel grabs two water bottles from the fridge before following me up the wooden stairs. My purse is slung across his shoulder, and he’s making sure I don’t stumble on any of the steps as my feet clumsily climb. He follows me toward my room, and he leaves the purse on my desk. He notices the picture frames turned over, and he glances at one of my dad and I before placing it back how he found it. He frowns, but I don’t catch it as I flop on to my bed.

“Cal, you need to take your contacts out,” he says gently, nudging me with his knee as I lay sprawled on the bed. “And you need to at least get your makeup off. You’ll kill me in the morning if I don’t make you do it tonight.”

I groan as he knocks his knee into mine, “But then I can’t see you very well, and I have to get up.”

“I’ll give you your glasses,” he chuckles quietly at my reasoning. “C’mon, let’s go to the bathroom.”

He tugs my arm to pull me into a sitting position on the bed despite my protest, and he drags me toward the bathroom in between our rooms. I slide up onto the bathroom counter, laughing as I slip into the sink basin and Daniel pulls me out as my legs fail. He laughs as he looks through the cabinet, searching for a wash cloth and my makeup remover. He sets them on the counter before looking toward me. 

“Alright, contacts. Get’em out,” he says, reaching for my case and solution. 

“Will you do it?” I whine, eyes falling shut as I tip my head back. “Just like after the beach bonfire with Liam and Alyssa, remember? After you kissed me for the first time?”

He’s silent for a second, but my drunken brain doesn’t catch his hesitation before he chuckles quietly, “Yes, I remember, Cal. How could I forget? You were so nervous you were grabbing my shirt. Open your eyes for me.”

“Well, sorry that I didn’t know what to do,” I huff, keeping my head tipped back as his fingertip gently pulls at my eyelid. “I had never been kissed before, and then Jack walked by and I thought he was going to kill us.”

He laughs at the memory, fingers gentle against my face before dropping the lens into the case. He gets to work on my other eye as he answers, “I still can’t believe he didn’t see that. I was planning some kind of excuse. Do you need me to take your makeup off, too?”

I nod, “Put some water on my face, but not too much or I’ll get cold. Then, take some of the product out and rub it between your fingers. It’ll take all my makeup off.”

He laughs gently as I stumble through the directions and my side comments, but he dutifully follows my drunken instructions. His fingers work circles on my skin, rubbing away the makeup from the night, and I giggle as he gingerly rubs my eyes and lashes. 

“What’s so funny, Apples?” he asks as I hiccup. 

“You’re being so careful,” I answer, sighing contently as he wipes my face with a warm washcloth. “When we were kids you used to drag me around on a skateboard or send me out on a motorbike.”

“Well, that’s when we were kids,” he answers with a soft smile, and my eyes open to meet his once he’s finished washing my face for me. “We’re adults now.”

Our gaze lingers, and even through my drunken haze, I’m aware of his eyes sucking me in. I finally register just how close we are with the front of his thighs brushing my knees, and I’m entirely distracted by the freckles and moles across his face and neck. He rests a finger on my cheek, wiping away a stray eyelash, and my breath hitches at his touch.

“Do you want to take a shower?” he asks quietly. “I can start it for you. You’re shivering, Cal.”

I look down at my arms covered in goosebumps, and his hands rub up and down on my biceps. I nod my head, but the movement sends me spinning and I start to slip off the sink. Daniel catches me suddenly, and a groaned whoa slips past his lips as I tip forward. He keeps me from crashing to the ground, but I send my bottle of solution clattering to the ground. Daniel laughs, “Can you take a shower by yourself?”

“Yes,” I nod my head, trying to act more sober as I straighten up before him. “I’m cold. I want to be warm, so I need to shower.”

He continues laughing at my strung together answer, trying to follow my drunken logic, “Alright. How about I sit in your room in case you need anything? Deal?”

I agree with him, and he starts a warm shower before he shuts the door behind him. It takes me a minute to get the button on my pants, and Daniel can hear me cursing the zipper on the other side of the door. I finally get into the warm stream, grateful for the temperature to ease the chills across my body. In my drunken state, I send bottles crashing to the floor, and yell out an apology to Daniel in the other room. He laughs in response before asking if I’m okay. Once I’m finally done despite the chills still racking my body, I turn off the water and reach for a towel off the hook. My fingers miss, but when I pull the curtain back to look, there’s no towel. My whole body is shivering as I call out for Daniel.

“What’s wrong?” he asks from the other side of the door.

“Can you get me a towel?” he can hear the shake in my voice as I shiver. “There’s none in here, and I’m still really cold.”

It’s not long before the doorknob twists, and Daniel is gingerly stepping into the bathroom. I’m hidden behind the curtain, head poking around the edge, and Daniel’s eyes are cast down as he reaches his hand out with a towel. I thank him as I take from his hand, and he waits for me to wrap it around my body and open the curtain before his eyes dare to look up from the ground. His eyes are wide and his mouth ajar as he watches me. My drunken brain doesn’t process his stare as he takes in my appearance—damp skin tinged pink from the heat of the shower, and water droplets sliding down my arms from my hair. Daniel snaps out of it when he sees my visible shaking and goosebumps pimpling my skin. He steps back toward the bedroom before reappearing with folded sweats and a sweatshirt and setting them on the counter.

“For you to wear,” he motions toward the teal set on the counter. “I wore these in Montana. I can confirm they’re warm. And I brought you your glasses.”

I thank him for the clothing and my glasses, still mulling over how they’re his as he shuts the door. The fabric is soft against my skin, and I relish in the oversized fit. When I open the door, wet hair falling onto my shoulder, Daniel is sitting on my bed. 

“Warmer?” he flashes his lopsided grin, and I nod my head, “Thank you, Danny.”

He smiles softly, ears turning pink, “You haven’t called me Danny in a long time.”

“I’m drunk,” I wave my hands as I flop onto the bed next to him. “It’s a force of habit.”

“It’s cute,” he whispers quietly, pulling a fleece blanket over me as my shivering continues. 

I thank him as he tucks the blanket beneath my chin, and as I’m about to say something, I pop up from my lying position as my head starts spinning. Daniel’s eyes are wide as he asks what’s wrong, and when I answer that the room is spinning, he starts to prop pillows against the headboard so I’m not laying flat. He fluffs them before I lean back into them, and he laughs when I pull the blanket tighter beneath my chin. He watches me for a moment as my shaking continues.

“Still cold?” he asks, trying not to laugh at the image before him.

I nod my head as I whine, “So cold. This is your fault, so you have to fix it.”

“My fault?” he scoffs. 

“Yes,” I whine, “you let me keep drinking.”

“Fine,” he sighs in defeat, unable to fight against my drunken logic any longer. “Scoot over and give me your glasses before you fall asleep with them on.”

“Oh my goodness,” I draw as he nudges me over, pulling another blanket over the two of us after setting my glasses on the table. “Are we going to cuddle?”

He laughs loudly, “You’re so going to kill me when you remember this in the morning. Yes, we’re going to cuddle, Cal. You’re always telling me I’m like a human heater, and you’re making me a little nervous right now.”

“Is it because we’re so close?” I ask, cheek resting against the thick flannel covering his arm.

He laughs, “No, because you’re so drunk you’re this cold, but we can pretend it’s because we’re close. Would that make you happy?”

“Incredibly,” I sigh, eyes feeling heavy as his body heat radiates through this thick flannel jacket and my fleece blanket. 

He adjusts so that his arm is wrapped around my shoulders, and my cheek brushes against his chest. We’re quiet as I settle in, shivering starting to ebb as he radiates warmth. The ease that spreads through my veins is comforting, and I relax into his side as my eyes continue to grow heavy. 

“Danny?”

“Hmm?” he hums quietly, looking down to where my eyes are shut and cheek pressed against his chest.

“Do you think my dad would be happy right now?” I whisper. “Happy that we’re here?”

“He would,” he answers without hesitation. “He’d be happy we’re here. He’d be happy you’re here, Cal.”

“Do you think he’s happy we made up?” my voice is raspy now, barely audible as my eyelashes weigh heavy. 

He hesitates this time as I lean in closer toward him, my leg pressing to the side of his, “I think he’s happy, Cal.”

“I’m happy,” I whisper, tipping on the edge of falling asleep. “I missed you, Dan.”

His arm around my shoulders squeezes me in toward him, enveloping me with more warmth and an overwhelming sense of comfort, “I missed you, too, Apples.”

“Dan?” I whisper despite the sleep tugging at me. “Are you staying?”

He stretches his legs out in front of him, tugging at the blanket as he leans back further into the pillows, “Do you want me to?”

“Don’t want you to go, yet,” I mumble, yawning in the middle of my sentence. “You’re warm and comfy.”

“Then I’m staying, Cal,” he says quietly, his gentle laughter vibrating in his chest. “I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”

“Thank you for taking care of me and letting me talk about Dad how I wanted,” tears start to well in my eyes from the alcohol still pumping through my veins. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“You’re my best friend,” he says quietly, a yawn breaking through his words now. “Now go to sleep, you drunkard.”

It’s not long after his comment before my breath goes heavy, indicative of sleep, and my body rests against his side as dead weight. Daniel isn’t far behind in falling asleep, curls fanning out around him as his head tips backward on to my pillows. I stay tucked against his side, and his arm curls tighter around me. My dreams are haunted by memories of childhood—the crossroads of Dad and Daniel.

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Fic Writing Review 2023

Thanks for tagging me, @gammacousin!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either. (Copied and pasted)

Words and Fics

Word Count:

142,081

Fic Count:

6 started. 5 completed

Most Productive Month: February by far, thanks to Kinkuary!

Top Five by Hits

The One He Needs Right Now: Jim Gordon's Kinkuary: 5941

What I'm Thinking About (Sirius x Ginny): 3600

A Window Not Missed (Bruce x Nat): 2107

A Window Closed (Bruce x Nat): 1101

In the Sepulcher by the Sea (Sirius x Severus): 684

Top Five by Kudos

A Window Not Missed (Bruce x Nat): 96

What I'm Thinking About (Sirius x Ginny): 61

A Window Closed (Bruce x Nat): 47

In the Sepulcher by the Sea (Sirius x Severus): 32

The One He Needs Right Now: Jim Gordon's Kinkuary: 24

Fandom events:

Two @trulymadlydeeplyfest fests! 1 in February and 1 in October. Both Harry Potter. I'm so bad at knowing where all the fests are so those are my only two.

Upcoming Plans:

To Complete:

Finish "A Window Closed" (Bruce x Nat)

Start "A Window Opened" (Bruce x Nat)

Start "A Special Election" (Jim Gordon x NEW OC) - I have one chapter written and some dialogue prompts for chapter 2. I'm soooo excited for this one.

Other Ideas:

Continue one-off Sirius and other Gary Oldman character one-shots on Tumblr.

Write a Jackson Lamb piece

Maybe write a Kate Bishop x Yelena Belova one-shot if the mood strikes

Write another Gary Oldman RPF (many dialogue prompts already written). Here's my first Gary RPF if interested... it was set during the Dracula filming. The new one will be set after his divorce from Alex but before Gisele.

Reflection

I took a couple long breaks from writing this year. After finishing "Submissioner Gordon" in December of 2022, I was at a pretty bad low from lack of interaction with that fic. My heart has NEVER been in something as much as it was that fic, so to have so many hits and so little interaction made me think everyone hated it. Yet I continued the story with the Kinkuary prompts, where I wrote a short fic every day for 28 days. Again, I feel like it bombed.

At the same time, I made what I thought would be my last hurrah in the Harry Potter fandom, and it didn't do so great either. I was in a BAD spot comparing myself to other writers, so I took a long hiatus.

During that break, I started watching the entire MCU with my son, start to finish. My brain grabbed onto Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff and would NOT let go. So in May, I began publishing the "Never Say Never" series, where I try to fix their story.

The feedback from the Marvel fandom and Brutasha readers/writers really warmed my heart and got me back in the groove. I am forever thankful to them, because it truly restored my confidence in writing.

I will always be thankful for my Wizarding World series and the Submissioner Gordon/Daddy Issues universe, and my brain loves to revisit those stories and characters. It's just bittersweet because it never really found its audience. However the feedback I got from my foray into the MCU fandom has built my confidence enough that I am able to write in HP and Dark Knight without really worrying what others think. I am just doing it for me and my love for the characters. I know my writing isn't bad--- it's just not a lot of people's cup of tea.

I also want to give a shoutout to the small but steadfast Gary Oldman fandom I have found on Tumblr and Instagram. They've become very dear to my heart, and I love that we can share random thirst posts together when so many others just don't get it.

If anyone is reading this, please share your 2023 stats and reflections as well! I love writers supporting writers. Happy 2024 to you all!